The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-19

WASHlNGION, April Is. - Tndc
batik will soon be accepted as an art
in this country is prophesied by ]. P.
Neigh, batik maker of this city.
Most OF us have seen vivid samples
Of batik, which we were told were
made by drawing design on material
with wax and dipping the piece in
dye to color the part unprotected by
wax. We understood that his was
higs Javanese art and that a taste
for 1t should be cultivated.
Now, it seems, the most startling
outbursts of color are not necessarily
the most admirable. In fact, they
represent an early phase of American
batik makers attempts at dyeing in
the Javanese fashion.
Until recently, Mr.. Neigh says, thu
fate of batik in this country has hung
In the balance. Artists and connois-
seurs waited to see if flashy, futuristic
designs, displayed as typically Java
nese batik, would be replaced by moro
subtle work There was danger. too.
of batik becoming a porch fad, like
basketry and bead chains. If this
fate was to befall, and batik were to
be made by persons with no under
standing of technique, color, or de-
sign, the process would be perna-
nently relegated to the plane of fancy
work. 1t would have its day and re-
tire
Luckily for batik and it's defenders.
It's production has proved little toe
difficult and too exacting to attract
many faddists. Luckily, too. crafts
men who are turning out smocks.
scarfs, and lampshades in hashed
rainbow effects eventually began to
absorb Javanese traditions, which
called for softer colors and clean cut
lines. The success of our most skilled
batikers>is indicated by the fact that
they ofte nreceive orders for their
work abroad.
CrackIe Effects Passing.
A recent exhibition of batik dresses
made by New York artist was a sur
prise even to visitors who talked
learnedly of cackle effects and admired
the right points in the design. The
thing that surprised them was that
these dresses were suitable for wear
on the street. In most cases, only the
sleeves were decorated with the dyd
designs, and the clear patterns In
beautiful color combinations were no
more conspicuous than trimmings of
delicately figured printed silks would
have been. This, 1t was agreed, was
standard for American batik.
In this exhibition there was very
little of the popular crackle effect
produced by letting the wax on a de.
sign crack so that the colors run
through in thin veins. Crackle has
been 80 prevalent in American BATHS
that many people regard it as sure
ltest of real batik. The Javanese,
however regard cracking of the wax
as flaw, because it may occur with
out the artists wish if the cloth is
not handled with care to prevent the
wax from breaking. Javanese dyers
use the effect only occasionally when
the design is in colors that do not
harmonic readily, and so used 1t is
undoubtedly artistic.
For centuries, Javanese natives
have been decorating their clothing
with painstaking care, using this meth
cd of wax dyeing. The method has
| been often described The most I'M.
! portant processes are the waxing of
the design and the dipping.
Ordinarily, a little pipe like tool,
called a tjanting, is used for waxing.
! The bowl of the tjanting is filled with
melted wax and the instrument is
guided over the material so that from
tiny spout in the bowl, the wax is
poured out in the lines or figures of
the pattern.
Javanese Process Reversed
| The Javanese dip their materials
| in the darker color first, and remove
a color where it is not wanted by hot
water or ammonia. Western batikers
reverse the process, making it sim
pier. If white, yellow, and green are
the colors to be used, wax is first
poured over the part of the material
which is to be left white. The piece is
then dipped in yellow dye. Then that
part of the design which is to remain
yellow is covered with wax and the