http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/87319/economy-batik ArtsConnectEd.org Art Collector Set: Economy: Batik http://www.artsconnected.org/images/favicon.png http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/87319/economy-batik 16 16 http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/87319/economy-batik Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400 <table cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="detail_label">Title</td> <td><h3>Economy: Batik</h3></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="detail_label">Author</td> <td><h3>Walker Art Center</h3></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="detail_label">Date</td> <td><h3>2003</h3></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="detail_label" style="padding-right:7px;">Institution</td> <td>Walker Art Center</td> </tr> </table><br/>The brightly colored so-called African textile covering the figures in <i>Dysfunctional Family</i> is Dutch wax. Batik fabric was first produced in Indonesia and later made in the Netherlands and Great Britain and exported to Africa. There it became an affirming political statement about African identity. The cloth was manufactured, however, in countries against which Africa would eventually have to fight to gain independence. In addition, the designs were inspired by the art of Indonesia, another country dominated by the same colonizing influences. <p>"The story of the fabric I use is so interesting. It is Indonesian influenced. It was manufactured in Holland and then in Manchester and shipped to West Africa. Then, after independence, it was adopted as African cloth. But as you can see from the history, its identity is a construct. The fabric is not one thing. . . . I am interested in those kinds of influences which make up so-called identity."<br /> --Yinka Shonibare</p> http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/87319/economy-batik The brightly colored so-called African textile covering the figures in Dysfunctional Family is Dutch wax. Batik fabric was first produced in Indonesia and later made in the Netherlands and Great Britain and exported to Africa. There it became an affirming political statement about African identity. The cloth was manufactured, however, in countries against which Africa would eventually have to fight to gain independence. In addition, the designs were inspired by the art of Indonesia, another country dominated by the same colonizing influences. "The story of the fabric I use is so interesting. It is Indonesian influenced. It was manufactured in Holland and then in Manchester and shipped to West Africa. Then, after independence, it was adopted as African cloth. But as you can see from the history, its identity is a construct. The fabric is not one thing. . . . I am interested in those kinds of influences which make up so-called identity." --Yinka Shonibare " type="image/jpeg" />The brightly colored so-called African textile covering the figures in Dysfunctional Family is Dutch wax. Batik fabric was first produced in Indonesia and later made in the Netherlands and Great Britain and exported to Africa. There it became an affirming political statement about African identity. The cloth was manufactured, however, in countries against which Africa would eventually have to fight to gain independence. In addition, the designs were inspired by the art of Indonesia, another country dominated by the same colonizing influences. "The story of the fabric I use is so interesting. It is Indonesian influenced. It was manufactured in Holland and then in Manchester and shipped to West Africa. Then, after independence, it was adopted as African cloth. But as you can see from the history, its identity is a construct. The fabric is not one thing. . . . I am interested in those kinds of influences which make up so-called identity." --Yinka Shonibare " type="image/jpeg" />Copyright 2003 Walker Art CenterWalker Art Center