The Classic Approach on Tulungagung Batik

Sometimes you just blown away with something so classic you feels instant connection to it. Classic batiks for the most indonesian was part of their memory of younger era of themselves. Mom went to formal function with neatly tucked hip-wrapper batik sogan, Pop being dress-up in long-sleeve, their baby borother's sling batik craddle, image of their night blanket, etc. 
And so is this one, well, in some extent...
A piece of batik classic Tulungagung in Majan Gajah Mada style, by mbak Yunar. 
It's classic, with known color scheme of 5, blue, black, yelllow, green , and of course , sogan brown and traditional process. I means that the first step was to start with darkest color of blue to make outlines of design, and then boil it down to rid off the first waxing process. It means more time and resources. And automatically , more expensive batik. 
As you notice from detailed pics, the outline's not even a line. It consist of tiny white dots within a dark blue portion. rows of dots like boats on the river. More time-consuming process to get through.... 

You have to notice that it isnt evenly designed through out the body. there's square that has different pattern from adjacent area. It is called tumpal, special portion in a sarong that indicate special area to wear in front or behind the body. 








Design of the body follow the classic lereng, family of diagonal-oriented design, called "Udan Liris" , or "gentle rain" dpicting variety of different stripes of patterns, always odd in number. The larger motif is bird of paradise, symbol of great beauty and personality.

Here and there we could recognize fans, proof for oriental influence. Overall, this design follow those of Central Java "Sudagaran" , classic pattern of either Sultanate of Yogyakarta or Surakarta, but added with merchant-class more personal flavor. 

     

Friendship Force Surabaya : on how we Introduce our Beautiful Heritage to our Friends from Abroad (Sacramento, that is)

Last month we (me, mas Firman Guendut and mas Prima Klampis Ireng Batik ) had the opportunity to give small presentation about batik. The highlight for this session wasn't entirely about the batik itself because Friendshipforce Sacramento delegations had already had a batiking session in Surakarta. Rather we introduce the most traditional way of preserving batik fabric using natural ingredients and 'ratus' , old-style preservation incorporating incense 'fragrant' smoke , the practice that even Indonesians hadn't seen in years.
Well, why preservation intrduction, then ? why not batiking itself ? 
It was just because prior to their arrival to Surabaya, they'd visited Surakarta first and they had their batiking session there. And i think to have continuation of the topic, i think i have to find related but not exactly the same topic with our friend's in Surakarta.

 Photo Credit : All of these beautiful illustrations was Rendy Tjitrawardhana 's from his album : FF SBY-Sacramento, Day 2 - Art & Culture Day .
Contributing presentation material : Ibu Noorlailie Soewarno Tjahjadi with late-night discusion and grammar-checking.

 

 

 

 

Few Steps Closer : Pamekasan's Journey into Perfection

Now this is my posting @ my FB Pages

Oleh-oleh perjalanan ke Desa Podhek Pamekasan seminggu lalu, bersama Mbak Niyah, Bang Rusydi dan Mbak Myshat Andaya , menemui rekan-rekan pengrajin.
Untuk saya yang sudah berkali-kali berkunjung, tidak ada ekspektasi khusus selain bertemu teman-teman dan melihat karya mereka yang terakhir. Tetapi ada satu "kejutan" yang disimpan Bang Rusydi dan Teamnya untuk kami : masterpiece dalam proses kelahirannya.
Sering kami berbincang bahwa pencapaian yang ingin diraih adalah melahirkan "real" batik halus di bumi Pamekasan. Sehalus apa ? : bagi rekan-rekan pecinta wastra (batik) sudah tidak usah ditanya lagi. Hanya satu tolok ukur kehalusan saat ini : The real masterpiece of OST.
Cecekan halus OST klasik ini yang akhirnya ; saya rasa ; berhasil didekati oleh Bang Rusydi dan Team-nya. Belum bisa dikatakan sudah berhasil karena batik ini (semua yang ada di album ini berasal dari satu lembar batik) dimaksudkan untuk menjadi multi-colors, bukan biron. Tapi (meminjam teman whatsapp saya yang kemaren saya forwardkan gambar-gambar ini) biron-nya-pun sudah menggetarkan sukma.
Tidak ada 'roh pamekasan' di sini? Engga masalah, karena kita sedang me-redifinisi-kan identitas Pamekasan (seperti kata Bang Rusydi dulu : saya bertujuan membuat batik halus, bukan yang 'lain-lain').
Buat rekan-rekan pecinta batik, titip doa ya biar si bakal 'supermodel' ini bisa lahir dengan selamat, karena ;tahu sendiri khan; masih panjang, jalan si Biron ini menjadi batik masterpiece tonggak sejarah peningkatan kualitas Bapk Pamekasan.

 

I'll tell you about something : Tulungagung & Trenggalek Batik Trip

This time i wouldnt go into something serius.
Last week me and my 18 friends from KIBAS went to Tulungagung and Trenggalek. It was out-of-radar batik centers, especially Trenggalek. Tulungagung was relatively unknown to East Javanese Batik connoiseur, albeit the outside world. The thing is : this region produce some of the most recognizable yet full of fusions from other influence. It is called Majan's Tulungagung.
See for yourself

 

 

 

 

Those are from the atelier of Batik Yunar Tulungagung. You can easily find her account on FB under ther very same name. It has fine craftmanship, enchanted, both traditional and gave bit of modern twist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those beautiful 'thing' was actually from a single 'sarung' , so diverse its part that my friend had thought that i'd show him a couple of samples. Those are picture from a relatively old sarung (around 50 y.o.) and gave us some clear evident that once Batik Tulungagung was as fine as other more important and famous batik center.

( we saw it at Mas Bobby's place).