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Paper ID: 36

Memedi Sawah: Environmentally Friendly Scarecrows for Paddy Field

R Widayat1 and D T Ardianto2

1 Interior Design Department, Faculty of Fine Arts and Designs, University of Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Indonesia

2 Visual Communication Design Department, Faculty of Fine Arts and Designs, University of Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Indonesia

Email: rahmanuwidayat@staff.uns.ac.id

Four decades ago, there were still many memedi sawah or scarecrows to repel rice-eating sparrows in paddy fields in Java. Currently, to repel sparrows, many farmers use plastic sheets, an environmentally unfriendly material that is tied to rows of bamboo sticks in the paddy field. Memedi sawah nowadays is transformed into works of art and displayed in prestigious art galleries. Using environmentally friendly design principles and theories, as well as the theory of creating Javanese cultural arts, namely the concept of aèng or strange, this study aims to bring back memedi sawah made from environmentally friendly materials to protect paddy plants and preserve the cultural values that blend with the environment and spirit of the local community.

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