Punctuated Equilibria and Indonesian Art

What defines the evolution of craft to an art form? Is it the length of time that a person puts into producing it? Probably not, for the cardboard cathedrals crafted by John Merrick (the Elephant Man) surely equate in time and effort to a typical sculpture; however, one is whimsy and the other is art. Is it an issue of quality, where a refined craft eventually becomes art? The Durer woodcut, the carved burl, and the samurai sword are of undisputed quality— but art, not necessarily. Is it the level of abstraction or impressionism in figurative expression? If so, we might compare a tourist caricature painter to one of the Dutch masters. Perhaps the closest definition is this: craft is the basic repetition of a learned skill, whereas art suggests creative innovation even if applied to old technology. In this issue’s cover art, we witness a natural experiment in the evolution of art from craft. In this case, the art is ‘‘Luxuriant Grass,’’ by Indonesian artist Mardiyono. The craft is batik, a fabric that has been decorated using a wax resist dyeing method. First, the batik maker applies a pattern of hot wax to a cloth. When the wax dries, the fabric is either brushed with or dipped into a series of dyes. The wax, which is later removed, preserves intricate patterns of unstained cloth. Throughout Southeast Asia, batik carries great cultural significance. Batik can be defined according to pattern, color, or fabric. In Indonesia, traditional Javanese court batik consisted of specific symbolic and ceremonial motifs, typically dyed in earthen tones. However, due to colonial rule, wartime occupation, maritime trade and other geopolitical factors, Indonesian batik patterns have also been known to include European bouquets, Indian peacocks, Chinese phoenixes, and Arabic calligraphy (UNESCO 2009). At its origins, batik was an art intended for royal appreciation (Elliot and Brake 2004). Over time, as innovative artistic designs became recognizable symbolic patterns, batik shifted into the realm of cultural craft. In the expanding regional markets of the mid-1800s, batik makers turned to copper stamps to apply the wax to large swaths of fabric. This allowed for faster production of precisely patterned batik textiles, turning cultural craft into an industry. In the 1960s, new technology encouraged the production of yardage of batik for clothing in Western-style cuts (Elliot and Brake 2004). In Malaysia today, many government departments honor ‘‘batik Thursday,’’ a far more elegant contrast to our Western ‘‘casual Friday.’’ How can we map the transformation of modern batik? For batik, the evolution of art from craft did not occur along a smooth trajectory of increasing abstraction or finery of detail. It occurred in the shift away from a repetitive, learned skill. In ‘‘Luxuriant Grass,’’ Mardiyono’s change is stark but simple. Rather than repeat figurative motifs on a stained background, Mardiyono keeps large swaths of the silk canvass pure crystal white. Moreover, he paints freehand renditions of Indonesian scenes with stunning detail and explosive color. This artistic leap punctuates the equilibrium to push the evolution of art in a single generation. This is an exciting time for aficionados of ‘Eco-Art’ (see www.ecoartsonline.org). To witness the birth of a new art form is equivalent to witnessing Halley’s comet. What do new artists choose as they look for subject matter to EcoHealth 8, 134–135, 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-011-0709-7