Monica D. Murgia

Where art, creativity, and fashion meet

February 3rd, 2013

Batik: Cloth as Art

Batik is such a magical textile. It’s a special way of dyeing cloth. Wax is applied to the surface of a cloth to protect certain areas from the dye bath. The cloth is dyed several times to achieve a rich, artistic surface. It is traditionally done by hand, and takes a very long time. Resistance and Splendor in Javanese Textiles is a small exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that explores this wax resist dyeing technique.

So, for instance, let’s talk about the sarung above. There are about 4 different dye colors. Before the sarung was dipped in a red dye bath, all of the areas that were going to be a different color had to be covered in wax. The wax prevents the dye from being absorbed in the fabric. The cloth was dried, the wax removed, and the the process was repeated for the other colored dye baths.

Batik is a traditional cloth from Indonesia. There are many studios in Java that have historically produced batik cloth. I wrote a lot about this in graduate school, and always admired how skillfully and artistically the cloth was decorated. Some of my research is actually published in book Encyclopedia of National Dress! The book is available for pre-order on Amazon. My mom (above) attended the show with me. She knows how crazy I am about batik, but she had never seen any in person.

She was mesmerized by the level of detail in the cloth.

One of the other aspects I love about Javanese textiles is that they are spiritual objects. Indonesia has a really rich and diverse religious community, but a large percentage is Hindu and Buddhist. The cloth and how it is made is a representation of the universe (sort of like Tibetan sand mandalas).

The act of making these complex patterns is a sort of meditation. Extreme care and mindfulness are needed, or else the design will not be executed properly. The artists that make these clothes must be fully present in the moment of creating the cloth.

Also, the colors of the dyes are a spiritual reference. The traditional natural dyes indigo, brown, and white represent the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. These three gods are a sacred trinity in Hinduism. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. You can start to see how traditional batik represents the larger idea of the universe, life, and death.

Most of the designs and motifs in batik show scenes from nature. I think this really reinforces the spiritual element of the cloth. It represents the impermanence of life. Life changes. It never stays the same. Everything grows, changes forms, and eventually leaves the earth.

Most Hindu and Buddhist art address these ideas. Art from these spiritual traditions act as meditation tools. They give viewers ways to understand and accept the greater truths and experience of life. But most Buddhist and Hindu art is stationary and stays in one place. Batik can be worn, and serve as a daily reminder of spirituality.

All images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you liked these images, I’ll be posting more to my Facebook page. Please check it out!

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Tags: batik, batik cloth, batik textiles, buddhist art, cloth as art, Hindu art, Indonesian textiles, Javanese textiles, sacred art, spiritual art, wax resist dyeing, wearable art
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November 6th, 2011

Looking at Buddhist Art

Yesterday, I paid my very first visit to the Rubin Museum of Art. The museum has the largest Western collection of religious art from cultures of the Himalayan mountain range. Since I’m an avid practitioner of yoga, I have a strong interest in Buddhist and Hindu art. Yet as a westerner, I don’t really see or understand many of the subtle messages communicated by the art objects. After visiting the Rubin Museum of Art, that changed.

Bodhisattva, on view at the Rubin Museum of Art.

The Museum provided an excellent Looking Guide at the start of the gallery, which is also available for download. It explains the 3 major figures in Buddhist art:

The Buddha: one who has obtained enlightenment.

The Bohisattva: an enlightened being who has vowed to be reincarnated and remain a teacher until all beings achieve enlightenment.

The Tantric Deity: A personification of the different aspects of enlightenment. Representations of tantric deities are not gods or goddesses, but meditation tools to awaken these qualities within the observer.

Looking at figures. Image courtesy of Looking Guide, Rubin Museum of Art.

You can start to identify these 3 major figures by their postures and their mudras. Mudras are hand gestures that carry symbolic meaning.

Postures in Buddhist Art. Image courtesy of the Looking Guide, Rubin Museum of Art.

Mudras carry symbolic meanings. Image courtesy of the Looking Guide, Rubin Museum of Art.

I really enjoyed this guide to understanding what each mudra means. In yoga classes, they often instruct the use of different mudras, like prayer or teaching. But still, I was unclear of the meaning of these mudras in art. Buddhas are identified by the use of touching the earth and contemplation. This alludes to the story of when the Buddha is tempted by Mara. Mara personifies the temptations and distractions from spiritual life. He is a tempter, distracting humans from spiritual practice by making the mundane alluring or the negative seem positive. Mara tries desperately to distract the Buddha, but nothing works. Mara’s final attempt to discourage by fear, asking “who will bear witness to your achievement of enlightenment?”. The Buddha reaches down and touches the Earth, his witness.

Buddha can be recognized by the mudras of touching the earth and contemplation. Buddha image courtesy of LACMA.

Buddhas can also be recognized by having large earlobes and no jewelry. This is because they have reached universal consciousness, and transcended material things, and removed heavy earrings that would have stretched the ears.

A Bodhisattva is always ready to spring to aid, helping to ward off fear and show generosity. Image courtesy of Christies.com

A bodhisattva can be recognized by his/her posture of royal ease. This indicates that while the bodhisattva is meditating, (s)he is always ready to spring to the aid of those in need. The bodhisattva can also use a variety of mudras, but the most common are protection and the granting of blessings and generosity. The bodhisattva can also be recognized by the adornments of clothing and jewelry, which indicates the promise to remain on Earth until all beings achieve enlightenment.

If you enjoyed this post, please visit the Rubin Museum of Art. Their website has excellent resources, and the Museum has wonderful tour guides and events. I’d also recommend watching the PBS documentary, The Buddha.

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