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the oaxacan workshops

updated tue 13 jul 99

 

Rachel and Eric on mon 12 jul 99

Dear potters- this is the official announcent for this winter's
field trips into hidden Oaxaca. The Oaxacan Workshops take potters into the
backcountry of southern Mexico. This is the world of ancient, traditional
potters. We work with masters, studying these 4,000 year old, low fire
pottery ways. You don't have to speak Spanish, I take care of that. You
needn't speak Zapotec, Mixe or Mixtec either. The only pre-requisites are a
love for pottery and a sense of adventure.
Please contact me for more info and with questions. Eric Mindling

1999-2000 Field Season

FIVE VILLAGE FIELD STUDY: Oct. 18-23. A six day journey into the pottery
villages of Oaxaca to examine five different Mesoamerican clay traditions.
We will see forming techniques, finishes and firings. Visits to museum
pottery collections and pre-Columbian, Zapotec ruins broaden our
understanding of these ancient cultures.

SAN MARCOS WORKSHOP: Dec. 6-11, Jan 24-29. A muddy hand visit with the
Zapotec master potters of San Marcos. We will mine our clay, process it,
build vessels using living, 4,000 year old methods, slip, burnish and
quickfire our pieces. There will also be visits to two other local pottery
villages to compare methods and styles. A week in the heart of these ancient
villages of potters gives us an inside look at village life as it has been
forever.

PRE-COLUMBIAN WOODFIRING WORKSHOP: Nov. 8-13, Feb. 7-12. A rare look at
pre-Columbian firing methods currently used in three Oaxacan villages:
Tumblestack surface firing, sunken chamber reduction firing and ancient,
stone kiln firing with tannin staining. The special clay bodies used as well
as finishing techniques, from slip and burnish to oak bark dying will also
be explored.

TONALTEPEC WORKSHOP: Feb 28-March 4. This will be the first group of outside
potters ever to study the Tonaltepec method in depth. This tiny settlement
is located in the barren, beautiful, Mixtec high country. We will dig our
clay, form vessels and fire the ancient Tonaltepec kilns with the wild,
post-firing hot staining of the pots.

COST:Tonaltepec Workshop $540, all others $595. Includes tuition, materials,
hotel 7 nights, most meals, local transport and museum entry fees. To tread
lightly, trips are limited in size from 6-8 participants.

For more information e-mail Eric Mindling or fax us
in Mexico, [011-52] (952) 1-4186. Check the web page:
www.foothill.net/~mindling.



Rachel Werling
and/or
Eric Mindling
Manos de Oaxaca
AP 1452
Oaxaca, Oax.
CP 68000
M E X I C O

http://www.foothill.net/~mindling
fax 011 52 (952) 1-4186
email: rayeric@antequera.com