Chuck Kaiser
Contemporary American Batik

                                                      wax application with tjanting

Batik is a wax resist dye process that dates back at least two thousand years. While the place of its actual origin is unknown, evidence of its practice has been found in most Eastern and Middle Eastern countries, including India, China, Japan, Persia, Egypt, and most abundantly in Indonesia, where it is still practiced extensively today. The batiks produced in these areas are, as one would expect, reflective of each country’s culture, religion, and surroundings.

To understand the mechanics of what I am doing as an artist, one needs to have an understanding of the batik process as it is traditionally done. The basic idea behind the process is rather simple. If one applies wax to an area of fabric, and then dyes it, the dye will not penetrate the waxed area. In traditional batik, wax (a combination of beeswax and paraffin) is applied (with a tjanting tool) to specific areas of the fabric, and the fabric is then placed in a light colored dye bath. After dyeing, the fabric is rinsed and dried (the wax is left in place), and then a second waxing takes place over specific parts of the previously dyed cloth. The piece is then placed in a second, darker dye bath. It is at this point then, that the artist either applies a third waxing, or removes all existing wax and dye, and starts the process all over again, waxing over the colors and images he/she wishes to retain from the first and second dye baths. These steps are repeated as necessary, until the artist sees the piece as complete. Batiks can range from two colors to twenty (or more) depending on the needs of the piece, and the skills of the artist.

While a great deal of my work is based on the traditional batik process as described above, I also employ a variety of resist (wax) manipulation techniques, alternative dyeing approaches, and at times incorporate materials not commonly associated with the traditional batik process. As for my subject matter, I’m simply doing what I feel. My intent is not to replicate the batik of other times and cultures, but instead to develop a body of work that speaks of who I am, in this time and in this place. I alone produce all work on display, with no help from assistants or apprentices. Materials used include prepared cotton, neutralized newsprint, fiber reactive dyes, various waxes, and acrylics and oils where specified. Each piece is mounted using acid free materials.

To this day, batik reveals itself to me as a wonderful medium with endless possibilities. In each new body of work, I hope to chart a little bit of new territory, expand the boundaries of what batik is, and help to further the acceptance of batik as a purely artistic medium.

If you want to contact the artist, you can do so by email at batik1@msn.com