Background
In examining the evolution of modern culture, we too often assume that "progress" means a move from un-civilized to civilized, from primitive to sophisticated, from manual to automated, from low-tech to high-tech, from hand-made to machine-made. As a result, artists have often turned their backs on the wonderful aesthetics, processes and techniques of the past. Until quite recently tribal ceramic traditions were generally seen as primitive oddities, like "living ancient history," and were often ignored in the study of ceramics. Fortunately, the appreciation and understanding of ancient and tribal art has increased dramatically, and we now recognize that these traditions are "primitive" only in the tools, facilities, and firing processes, while the level of craftsmanship, the narrative content, and the design aesthetic are highly sophisticated.

The work we make will be coated with terra sigillata and finished with ancient and tribal polishing techniques. Traditionally, tribal pottery is fired in a single bonfiring, but this is only possible with a very coarse clay body and a long slow bonfiring. To allow a quick bonfiring and to minimize losses, our wares will be pre-fired in a very low-temperature bisque-fire, and transferred from bisque to bonfire while still warm. The bonfire will be a classic blackware firing, similar to that practiced by Native American potters of the American Southwest and other cultures through history.

A major appeal of tribal ceramics is that the processes involve almost no modern technology. This feature is difficult for many modern ceramic artists to accept, with our fascination for tools and equipment. Once experienced, however, a tribal approach to ceramics is tremendously liberating, even for contemporary "high-tech" ceramic artists.

Facilities, Equipment, and Supplies Provided by Host - Two carousel projectors, four empty 80-slide carousels (please make sure that they are not the 140-slide carousels with the super-thin slots), appropriately dark room with two screens or a large white wall, work tables, one 24" stool, one gallon white vinegar, two gallons of joining slurry made from the clay we will be using (add a half cup of vinegar), one plastic spray-bottle for vinegar water, one standard propane canister for a propane torch (I'll bring the torch), electric kiln for drying wares and for low (cone-018) bisque pre-fire (and 018 cones if not a programmable kiln), re-bar grate/cage for bonfire-firing, scrap sheet-steel to line grate and cover pots, safe open space for bonfiring (and approval from authorities if necessary) with water hose available.  If the workshop is conducted in the East and I am driving to it, I can bring the re-bar grate and sheet metal scraps.