Man has always, from the earliest times of his existence, sought to decorate the world around him. Everything was used that could only at least slightly change the objects, the surroundings surrounding it. And the story of batik tells just about this.
Batik - pattern on fabric
Man has always learned to paint fabric as soon as he has learned to weave or knit fabrics. Of course, batik is an art, not a utilitarian need to diversify life, and it can be very subtle and elegant, requiring a great skill from the master to work in this interesting technique.
Technical features of batik
Despite the development of technologies and materials, the manual art of batik is still relevant and in demand. It is used as an independent art form and as a way of decorating textile things - clothes, scarves, curtains, theater wings. The very word "batik" comes from the ancient Indian "drop of wax." And it was wax that was originally used as the basis for partial dyeing of fabric to obtain patterns and ornaments. Moreover, this material is still used in the technique of hot batik. The very technology of dyeing fabrics in batik art has several directions that are united by one principle - reservation, that is, protection of individual sections of the canvas in order to preserve their color during further dyeing. This principle is implemented in different ways, depending on the technique of batik.
In addition to the technical side, batik also has its own artistic features, because its uniqueness is a combination of many types of fine art. Here you can find elements of graphics, watercolors, pastels, even stained glass and mosaics. The art of batik itself is unique in that it is very simple to master. This is a grateful kind of creativity, because any work in this technique is a unique copy that can be modified, if necessary, with additional decoration techniques, including embroidery or applique.
South Asia - the birthplace of batik
According to historians, the art of dyeing fabrics (batik) was born in Indonesia. "Anbatic" in local dialect means "to draw." Already in those distant days, women sought to decorate clothes. This, of course, pursued its goals - to emphasize belonging to a particular genus with a specific color scheme and patterns. Although there were few dyes, the art of batik made it possible to create multicolored painted dense.
In Indonesia, batik acquired hues of ocher and the color of indigo - sand halftones from thick shade to ivory were diluted with bright blue spots of a high sky. Each genus carefully kept the secrets of the preparation of coloring solutions, methods of applying paint, as well as batik drawing. According to the colored patterned clothes, it was possible to say exactly what kind of person this or that person belongs to. Different drawings were used - abstract, graphic ornaments, plot stories. The latter mainly served to create paintings for decorating temples.
Indonesia and India, where the art of batik moved smoothly and was called "bandhana," used cotton linens. Hand-woven fabrics were carefully bleached, dried, so that the pattern lay on them as clearly and evenly as possible. A unique tradition of the peoples of ancient Indonesia and India were cotton fabrics dyed using the technique of batik. The history of this type of creativity originates in the ancient southeastern states.
Traditions of China and Japan
Everything in the world is interconnected. Arts traveled difficult paths in different countries, from people to people, absorbing something new, unique and passing on acquisitions further and further. This also happened with the batik technique , the history of the emergence and development of which suggests that it has passed a difficult, amazing path . He gradually became popular art, and then the finest art of China and Japan. China gave batik natural silk. From that moment on, dyeing fabrics acquired incredible lightness of colors, or rather, even tones and midtones, so delicate work was subject to the masters of the East. There were legends about the beauty of Japanese kimonos, but few people thought about how such a beautiful fabric is obtained.
The Japanese brought into the art of dyeing fabrics, silk in particular, the special technique of the so-called reverse batik, when the fabric was dyed and then whitened in the desired areas with alkali. But the art of hot batik, which protected the fabric during the process of dyeing with wax, allowed the masters of Japan and China to make this technique the pinnacle of the perfection of the art of painting on fabric. Oriental motifs, bright, saturated colors or light shades of colors delighted everyone who could see them.
Industrial Europe and Batik
How did batik from Asia and the East get to Europe? With the help of Dutch travelers who established trade relations with the countries of Southeast Asia. When the Dutch first arrived in Indonesia, they were struck by the beauty and uniqueness of the textile decoration of local temples. Unusual patterns on plain cotton fabric interested traders. And they brought the batik technique to Holland, from where all of Europe learned to dye cotton and silk in such an interesting and unusual technique. But not even a century had passed before this amazing but laborious art began to yield to the position of the printed technique invented in England. Machines, machine tools, quickly stamped drawing on stretched canvases, fabrics came out smartly and cheap enough that only those who appreciated the singularity of this type of creativity and could afford to pay the master remembered batik. So the history of the development of batik almost ended, if not for single artisans who remained faithful to the unique look of decorating the paintings.
Russian batik
The history of batik in Russia has passed a very difficult path, due to the closeness of the USSR from most of the world states. And this art appeared in Russia only at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Art Nouveau style came into fashion - beautiful painted shawls in oriental motifs, an interesting cut of women's dresses with drawings on it. Moreover, this style took root only in large cities, while the provinces, this new product was almost unfamiliar. Fabric Artists. those engaged in painting in the style of batik did not have the opportunity to learn this skill, and often went by experience, which did not contribute to the development of the popularity of batik as a way to decorate life.
The only thing that was made in this technique was the theater backstage and curtains, the monumentality of which was saturated with Soviet symbols. Batik as a form of art for a long time could not realize itself in Russia for many reasons. But the middle of the 20th century became a starting point for revival for this type of fabric painting . In a country recovering from the terrible war, workshops were organized where batik masters and students were invited to create beautiful, worthy things for Soviet people. At first, batiks painted shawls and shawls for women, as well as created decorative panels for decorating public entertainment and cultural institutions.
Theater arts
The history of batik (summarized in the article) suggests that this technique has come a long way. If you reduce it to appearance, travel the planet and improve, it does not reflect the essence: batik is a multicomponent art that incorporates all the most significant that countries and nationalities that loved batik and began to use it to decorate the world could give it . For example, in Russia, batik received his theatrical "education" - it was actively used by masters to create backstage and stage backdrops for various theatrical productions, ballet performances. A whole galaxy of Batik masters has developed in the country who created unique batik paintings, filled with a plot, numerous elements, and this is a very delicate, painstaking work.
Shawl art
Even if the history of batik is summarized, the art of creating scarves and shawls in this technique cannot be ignored. In Russia, it originated in the 20 years of the last century as a component of the fashion trend - modernism. The NEP demanded brightness and pretentiousness, and the batik allowed decorating shawls with vivid drawings of Japanese motifs, which was then the highest point of conformity to fashion. Over time, as a result of the circumstances, the batik has lost all its mass purpose, and the handkerchief art has practically come to naught. But the second half of the century revived this type of art again, and shawls and shawls again became canvases for artistic experiments and upscale creative works of batik masters.
Irina Trofimova and others
The history of the origin of batik and its development in the Soviet Union is inextricably linked with the name of Irina Trofimova. The art of painting on fabric in the Soviet Union developed almost from scratch, because the masters could not go abroad to get acquainted with the techniques at the place of their origin and development. Only in the second half of the 20th century, Irina Trofimova managed to learn these features by visiting workshops abroad and sharing her knowledge with other Russian batikists. Irina Trofimova is rightfully considered the ancestor of the classic batik in our country, her monumental batik technique has allowed other directions to emerge, each of which is developing successfully now. Russian batik masters enjoy well-deserved authority and respect from their colleagues in batik technique. Bright, distinctive images created with the help of various batik schools fascinate, striking with the artist’s skill.
Cold batik
The history of the emergence of batik technology developed as a whole over the centuries, but creativity itself consists of several areas:
- hot batik;
- cold batik;
- free painting.
The story of cold batik is also unique . It was with him that the development of this fabric painting technique began. In ancient Indonesia, fabrics were first dyed in sections, one from another, filling the gaps with different colors and shades. They blended to form a new color scheme. It was a very difficult art, since a damp cloth absorbs paint well, requiring the utmost care from the master. Then, in order to prevent unnecessary and poor-quality mixing of paint on the fabric, a hot batik- “anbatic” - a drop of wax - was invented. But the "cold" technology continued its development. Special adhesives have been developed, the so-called reserves, which prevent the penetration of the dye into the fabric fibers. Then this dried glue can be easily removed to obtain unpainted sections of the canvas.
Hot batik
The art of painting fabric received a temperature characteristic is not accidental. Hot wax is the basis of this technique. The history of batik in many nationalities, including the Japanese silk painting "rocketi", is the development of the technique of hot batik. Heated wax is applied to the fabric, filling entire areas or just outlining the contours, then the wax is scraped off and applied again to protect another area from a different color. This is a subtle technique that gives amazing results. This is evidenced by the colorful kimonos of Japanese women, many of which to this day are painted in the technique of batik.
No prohibitions!
But the history of batik technique is not only the application of border compositions to obtain a painted area of the canvas. There is a special technique in batik called free painting. She uses several tricks:
- watercolor technique, paint is applied to the wet fabric using brushes or a sprayer, spreading and forming color transitions;
- the stencil technique uses the patterning of fabrics through stencils using foam sponges with paint;
- free graphics using graphic elements obtained by reserving tissue sites using nodes, constrictions of threads and saline.
Free painting is an integral part of modern batik art. It is widely used by amateur artisans trying at home without special tools and materials to paint the fabric. This technique is simple, but allows you to decorate primitive clothes - jeans, T-shirts, T-shirts.
Fabric Drawing Tools
The centuries-old history of batik is the history of the development of materials and tools used in painting fabrics. Batik masters have whole arsenals of such tools. These are special brushes with different widths and stiffnesses for paints and glue or wax, thin glass tubes for applying a reserve composition, syringes, sponges, molds, fabric frames, knives, stencils, funnels, plastic or wooden sticks. If desired, tools can be bought in specialized stores of goods for needlework.
Safety is important
Despite the fact that batik is the art of painting on fabric, safety rules must be observed when working. This is due to the tools and materials that are used in the creative process. Hot batik technique involves the use of open flame or electric heaters for melting wax. Natural paints are not always used, especially among artisan art lovers. The use of chemical dyes and solvents can cause skin and mucous membrane irritation or allergies. Batik does not require a protective suit, but nevertheless, safety measures should be strictly observed. Carefully you need to work with all tools, from knives and scissors to glass tubes for applying the reserve.
The art of batik has not completed its development, new materials and technologies are constantly accompanying the development of all types of creativity, including batik. An amazing form of art makes life much more colorful and brighter with the help of ancient methods and modern masters.