Few to participate in batik contest

Few to participate in batik contest

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta is slated to host the second
International Batik Festival on Sept. 4, 2002, with fewer
participants than last year.

The chairman of the festival's organizing committee Ardiyanto
Pranata said here on Friday that the committee had registered
only about 40 displays that would be contested during the day-
long festival.

"Last year we received almost 100 batik entries for the
competition," said Ardiyanto, adding that the material that would
pass the first selection to join the competition could be even
fewer than 40 because some of them might fail to fulfill the
competition's requirements.

The first step of the selection would include whether the
batik is made on silk, using natural dyeing agents and uses the
Yogyakarta style in their motifs. Each of the works would consist
of a piece of silk batik cloth of 2.5 meters long and another
piece of silk batik scarf of free size and form.

According to Ardiyanto, the difficulty of making of "ceplok"
motif could be behind the reasons why fewer participants were
taking part in the biennial batik competition.

"Besides, there had also been different interpretations among
batik artists and makers over what exactly ceplok motif of
Yogyakarta style batik should be, as there is no single
sourcebook on it," he said. --JP