Batik

Batik goes back centuries, and while textiles often don’t stand the test of time, examples have been found in Egyptian tombs.  It is thought that batik spread from China/India to Indonesia. It was also practised in Africa (Nigeria and Ghana) but history there is obscure.

The island of Java, Indonesia, is considered the place where batik reached its peak, and where Chinese, Arab, Indian and European traders bought and sold textiles, with batik first specifically mentioned on a cargo bill in the mid-17th century. From around 1835, textile manufacturers in Holland began attempting to mechanise the production of batik using copper rollers and a resin resist. However, the Javanese were unwilling to buy this cloth hence it travelled to West Africa and began a tradition of its own, which continues until today known as ‘waxprint’. In response, Java textile merchants sought to find a way to speed up the time consuming method of hand drawing designs, by adapting wooden block printing to batik with the invention of copper stamps (tjaps) to apply hot wax. 

The batik technique was introduced to interior design, furnishings and later to fashion by a group of young artists in the 1890s in Amsterdam, gaining popularity. Throughout the 20th century, batik imitation cloth was produced in a number of European textile printing companies, most notably in the UK and Holland, and was practised by thousands of European and American craftspeople. Batik became used by artists in Holland around the time of the art nouveau era, so there may have been a few UK artists using it then. 

Hence, batik is a fairly modern craft in the UK, becoming popular in the 1960s as young people began to travel to Indonesia and the East, and was taken up and explored by artists including Noel Dyrenforth in London, who founded the Batik Guild in 1986. Starting as a small group of Noel’s students, the Batik Guild became an international collective. 

Dutch Wax Print – Batik is related to wax resist printing, the creation of distinctive batik-style textiles that are mostly targeted at the African market. These fabrics were manufactured in the UK and Holland but the UK manufacturing has now moved to Ghana where the vast majority of fabric is made. The design process by ABC print is still carried out in the UK. http://www.abcwax.co.uk/history.htm

Batik is wax resist, textile medium (sometimes on paper). It involves heating wax (beeswax and paraffin wax usually) and painting the molten wax onto fabric, then using cold dyes (often Procion fibre reactive dyes) to add colour.  Layers of wax and dye are built up, then the wax is removed, leaving the coloured design behind.

Tools used to apply wax are canting (wax pen), brushes, sponges, metal stamps (caps), kitchen tools, feathers etc. Dyes can be sprayed on, painted on, or traditionally the whole cloth is immersed in dye bath, working through successive waxings and dyeings. Finally the wax is removed by boiling out or ironing out on absorbent paper.

Batik is used jointly with other textile media so may be used by stitchers etc as a base for embellishment.

There are a number of variations in style and technique. These are often inspired by traditional batik from Indonesia, Africa, India, Malaysia and China.

• Training and recruitment issues – The reduction in adult education classes and library services.
• Training and recruitment issues – Many textile students will try it but it is just one of many techniques that they are introduced to.
• Supply of raw materials, allied materials and tools – High Material Costs – quality materials are essential for producing high-standard batik, but they can be expensive.
• Ageing workforce – The numbers of practitioners is declining, and particularly the higher-level skills are becoming scarce.
• Legislative issues – Education in art/craft tuition in schools, and secondary education especially, linked to perceived health and safety issues, financial pressures and a narrowing curriculum have meant that they rarely invite crafts practitioners into schools to work with children.
• Legislative issues – Equipment – heating the wax safely for batik use is not particularly easy. Wax pots with thermostats are quite expensive (around £80). Also batik is quite messy, putting people off from trying at home or school etc.
• Other issues – Competing demands on people’s time and disposable income.

• The Batik Guild – a voluntary organisation with around 160 members, one third of which are overseas members.
• West Dean College – runs courses in Batik.

• Morley College London – Textile Techniques: The Art of Batik short course. 
• Midlands Arts Centre – Batik workshop
• The Threshing Barn – Batik Painting course workshop 
• West Dean College – Experimental Batik on Paper short course

The Batik Guild has gallery pages which provide a good idea of individual makers who are actively making in the UK.

The Batik Guild has around 130 members, some of whom are practising outside of the UK.

It’s mostly people over 55 who are practising batik and the skills are not being passed on. Colleges, schools etc and younger people may try batik for a time but it will be one of many skills they dabble in.  It is rare that they would choose to take batik further and study it seriously.

The Batik Guild

Batik Boutique