Characteristics and potentials of Batak art-crafts in Indonesia (original) (raw)

The Socio-Cultural Life of Batik in Indonesia and the Limit of Cultural Heritage

This study sets out to interrogate the historical transformation of culture utilizing batik in Indonesia as an illustration of the relationship between cultural practices, power relations and the logic of neoliberalism. By identifying the critical junctures in Indonesia that effect the formation of meanings attached to batik in the larger reconfiguration of capitalism during the Dutch colonial era and in the present circumstances of late capitalism, this study argues that the hybridity of batik production in the Dutch East Indies, as signified by the emergence of batik Belanda, exemplifies a period when the notion of batik as a mutually empowering form of trans-cultural practices was possible. Analyzing the disposition of batik today, this study further argues that, unlike in the past, trans-cultural practices during the current state-sanctioned deployment of batik as Indonesia's national cultural heritage becomes only possible through practices of trade and consumption. This cultural formation offers a critique ideology toward the current national and global discourse of batik that reifies unbounded cultural practices as " cultural heritage. " Keywords: batik, batik Belanda, cultural heritage Introduction Within globalization studies, the production and exchange of textiles and clothing serve as constructive links in unearthing not only economic and political relations, but also social and cultural entanglements between different geographies. As Appadurai (1986, p. 3) asserts, " commodities, like persons, have social lives, " thus exploring the cultural biography of textiles, which has been an important commodity since the 18 th century, can provide insights into the life of different societies in a given time. In countries with colonial histories, close reading into the textiles created and worn during certain time periods may lead to alternative chapters within the histories of these countries and deconstruct Eurocentric relations between center and periphery. Ruschak's (2009) study on The Real Dutch Wax, which are wax-printed textiles produced in the Netherlands in the 19 th century, and distributed in West Africa, particularly in Ghana, is a brilliant example of postcolonial studies on textiles. Ruschak argues that Ghanaian women were in fact powerful agents behind the production and consumption of the waxed-printed textiles, thus deconstructing the notion of powerless colonized consumers. Despite their value in reframing colonial relations, the study of textiles remains largely under-researched within postcolonial studies (Hemmings, 2013). The salient themes of the postcolonial, such as subject formation and power relations, remain rooted in the study of literary corpus for the humanities and the ethnographic study of marginalized communities for the social sciences. In attempt to expand the applicability of postcolonial studies to a wider socio-cultural terrain, this study explores the life of batik Belanda which is a luxurious variant of batik developed from the mid-19 th century to the mid-20 th century by the women of the European and Indo-European communities residing in the Java island of Indonesia, or then known as the Dutch East Indies. Taking a postcolonial lens and calling on critical concepts introduced by Homi Bhabha in his book " The Location of Culture " (1994), this study locates batik Belanda in the larger politics of clothing in the Dutch East Indies and argues that the process of identification for colonizer and colonized in the hierarchical culture promoted by the Dutch colonial government is not as intransigent and disparaging for the latter as it is thought to be.

The Tensions On The Protection Of Local-Traditional Indonesian Batik

Yuridika

Batik artwork has been known for hundreds of years and has become part of the culture of Indonesian society. Some batik motifs in Indonesia have philosophical values and are part of traditional traditional ceremony activities. Along with the times, the creativity of batik artists has become varied even though ancient traditional motifs are still mass produced and used as inspiration. This research examines the legal protection for traditional batik in order to avoid the abuse of rights by certain parties who merely exploit it in order to benefit from the existence of traditional batik works. The formulation of the problem that will be examined in this research is whether traditional batik gets legal protection under the copyright regime in Indonesia? Are there any legal safeguards at the international level for traditional Indonesian batik works? In answering this problem formulation will use a conceptual approach and a statutory approach. This research is a legal research that will...

DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE BATEK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE: A SYSTEMATIC DOCUMENTATION OF FEATURES

2021

Background and Purpose: The present paper discussed the features of Batek Hep tribe of the Tembeling River, Pahang National Park dwellers' decorative arts, and the characteristics of three features which include the influence of Fibonacci numbers and Golden ratio in these decorative arts as well as whether its symmetrical elements are leaning towards the vertical or horizontal axis. Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative approach where a content analysis was conducted. The arts being studied were the carvings on Batek bamboo dart cases. Initial impressionistic exploratory overview suggested some similar patterns. Therefore, a hundred bamboo dart containers were conveniently documented by systematic labelling, photographed, and analytically documented. Each bamboo dart casing was then purposively visually analysed. Immerging features were coded and themed. Simple quantification in terms of the carvings and the diameter and the base segment height of 26 bamboo dart cases was performed to put forth the three analysed art forms that is available and visible in Batek arts for the purpose of discussion. Findings: The findings suggest that Batek decorative arts were mostly vertically symmetrical and conform to initial reported representations. The influence of Fibonacci numbers and Golden ratio could also be seen in these decorative arts. There were also repetitions of a sequential pattern that could be found on the dart cases.

Business Preservation of Batik Indonesia (Heritage), Challenges and The Solution

2020

This study aims to look at the effort to preserve Indonesian Batik which is one of the most valuable herit-ages that is owned by the Indonesian people, this research looks at what efforts can be done to keep the unique motifs and patterns in Indonesia and what obstacles are also faced solutions that can help preserve batik in Indonesia. The research method used in this study is qualitative, consisting of a literature review on Batik and Interview to several Batik industries in Jabodetabek and in Central Java, especially Solo and its surroundings. the process and the development of its coloring also held batik exhibitions for marketing and business development not only in Indonesia, but also to the Five Countries as a form of maintaining the work of creative industries in Indonesia.

Study of the Function, Meaning, and Shape of Indonesian Batik From Time To Time

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 2022

Batik is an Indonesian heritage which is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. As a cultural product that must be read to reveal the deconstruction of functions conceived in accordance with the space and time of the subject, as a logic of deconstruction in understanding the reality of the shift in the subject's understanding of objects that are seen as the reality of creation (production of construction) or recreated. The method used is qualitative with descriptive and interpretative analytical techniques using a humanistic approach. The results obtained from the research are that there are three, namely: (1) functional deconstruction of batik occurs due to traces of changes in meaning and batik in the global constellation. (2) the deconstruction of the function of batik can be understood through the life cycle and batik becomes fashion. (3) the deconstruction of the function of batik has two implications, namely: implications for the popularity of batik and implications for the socioeconomic life of the Indonesian people. Batik is no longer only a cultural heritage but can be used as a means to raise the country's foreign exchange-producing economy, by improving batik not just a simple product but has become a fashion trend, where batik has use value and is able to become a national identity, has a high exchange value in the context of global economy and remains a national identity.

Implementation of Traditional Bataknese Ethnic Ornaments in Ceramic Craft

2014

This paper is part of Competitive Grant second year (2014) research titled “The Creation of Ceramic Craft Based on Bataknese Ethnic Art as a Local Specialty with Global Nuance”. This research aims to produce ceramic works of art by implementing traditional ornaments of Bataknese ethnic of North Sumatra. In the first year (2013), 30 ceramic craft’s structural designs and Bataknese ethnic ornament design sketches have been produced. This study is a new formula related to Ceramic Craft Based on Bataknese Ethnic Art as a Local Specialty with Global Nuance. In the second year (2014), the traditional Bataknese ethnic ornamental designs are implemented to the ceramic craft’s structure. The application of the ornamental design is done in three stages. The first stage is to apply the design to ceramic structures using a pencil. The second stage is to color the design with Bataknese ethnic colors of red, black, and white by using poster and wall paint. The third stage is to provide a layer of...

Unveiling the indigenous art and craft of bakat and its economic significations

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 2019

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to unveil the intricacies of bakat art of weaving; its origin; processes; uses; primary materials and principles used; the profile of the weavers; and its economic significations in the system of production and trade. Design/methodology/approach-The study used a descriptive-qualitative design with 35 key informants using narrative analysis. The unstructured questions listed in the interview guide were used during the interview. Responses were recorded using an audio-video recorder. Coding sheets were used in the actual transcription of data. Findings-The results showed dependency on the bakat art of weaving with the available resources found in the environment. Its economic significations showed a sustainable impact on the weavers' life. The bakat art of weaving represented the values of resiliency to hardships, adaptability to changes, passion to craftsmanship, sense of community and family centeredness. Aspiring craftsmen and artists may enhance continuously their craftsmanship for sustainable development with government support through the creation of the School of Living Traditions. Research limitations/implications-The study was limited to bakat art of weaving based on the responses of the key informants that were subjected to a point of saturation without sacrificing robustness, brevity, credibility and dependability. Practical implications-Though the economic side of bakat art of weaving is sustainable within the village, it can create a powerful branding for cultural recognition that would transform the town of Barili into a creative weaving hub in Cebu. This creates the balance of the historical significance of bakat art of weaving and the tourism sector in promoting sustainable development. Social implications-Bakat art rekindled the spirit of consciousness among the majority of the Cebuano public for preservation and promotion. Originality/value-The study is original because this has not been published.

Art in Traditional Societies [chapter in "Visual Art" volume, "Indonesian Heritage" series]

1998

[Book chapter:] Pp. 22-23 (+ integrated photo credits, p. 144) in: "Visual Art" ed. by Dr. Hilda Soemantri [vol. 7 in series:] "Indonesian Heritage" (Sian Jay, General Editor). Singapore & Jakarta: Editions Didier Millet. 1998. = = = = = = In traditional societies of Indonesia, there is little or no art for art's sake. Instead, we can say that beauty (aesthetics) follows function, because the aesthetic quality of an object helps it carry out its function. Traditional artists from throughout Indonesia have imbued functional objects - those made for purposes other than being aesthetically pleasing - with aesthetic value. Yet it is difficult to identify any traditional Indonesian object that was made solely as 'art ', that is: to elicit an aesthetic response. Indonesia 's traditional artworks often embody remarkable aesthetic uses and modifications of materials, and today many are recognised as great works of art with high art-market values. Yet, deciding whether particular objects are 'works of art' (let alone separating 'art' from 'craft') is only problematic for art markets or museums. These questions do not correspond to the thinking that originally created the objects, and these distinctions have never been important to the artists. Throughout Indonesia, we find strong emphasis on the divinely regulated or moral aspects of aesthetics and the notion that violation of these canons will negate the social function of the object. Rather than creating a functional object then adding decorations, the maker includes the decorations as fundamental elements of an object - the absence of which would impair its ability to function.

Regional Icon Motifs: Recent Trends in Indonesia's Batik Fabric Development

2020

Batik is a traditional textile that has developed in Indonesia. UNESCO's recognition of Indonesian traditional textiles (batik) as a cultural heritage is driving the development of batik trends in Indonesia to become not only a fabric, but also a regional identity. This study aims to explain how the identity of the region is manifested in a specific motif in each region in Indonesia that can be identified from fabric and clothing products. This research employed artistic research approach with multiple-case study design in five batik industry areas, namely Semarang, Kudus, Cirebon, Surabaya and Malang as the center of the people's batik industry. The research was carried out through the steps of: a) visual data collection and batik creation process, b) visual analysis, c) synthesis and d) verification. Product data were collected through batik product documents and were corroborated through observation. The data were then analyzed using an interactive model. Batik motifs are...