Stone: Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery

(Hardback)

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In this perceptive and illustrative look at the expressive and practical use of stone throughout history, Richard Rhodes unlocks the underlying principles of this ancient materialand explains the closely guarded Sacred Rules of the Freemasons guild for the first time ever. The relationship between mankind and stone is elemental and deeply ingrained in us all. Stone, after all, has been the primary building material for more than five thousand years of human history, and it continues to record our triumphs and failures. In this searching history, Rhodesa sculptor, stonemason, and scholar of stoneworkexplores how stone is best used today and throughout history. Stone presents the closely kept Sacred Rules developed over centuries by the medieval Freemason guild, previously available only to the initiated. Here, the rules are explained through historical examples and photographs. In these times of rapid development and expansive urbanization, Rhodes implores us to explore the essential qualities of stone that emerge from the Sacred Rules, not only to rediscover the ancient and traditional knowledge that governed its use for so long but also to find a roadmap for how future generations might thoughtfully recapture the power this material offers. MOST RENOWNED STONEMASON IN THE U.S.: Richard Rhodes apprenticed as a stonemason in Siena, Italy, after graduate studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. As the first non-Italian admitted into Sienas ancient masonic guild in 726 years, he is known throughout the sculpture and stone community as the last apprentice. HISTORICAL EDUCATION: A nationally acclaimed lecturer and educator, Rhodes has shared his deep knowledge of the history of stone and stonemasonry through convention addresses to the American Institute of Architects and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, a five-lecture educational series to the Institute of Classical Architecture in both New York and San Francisco, and lectures to the Building Stone Institute and many public and private universities. His writing has been featured in Architectural Digest, New York Times, Architectural Record, MSNBC, The Globe and Mail, Greenwich Post, Seattle Times, and The Globe and Mail, among many others. EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR: The book includes a foreword by Paul Goldberger, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and previous architecture critic for both the New Yorker and the New York Times, where he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of many books, including Why Architecture Matters.

Reviews

"What Michael Pollan did for food, Richard Rhodes has achieved, brilliantly, for the world of stone--a vivid, thrilling journey through a world where nature meets intelligence. Stone unspools a history that ranges across the world and through time, into fascinating secrets of art and architecture. The passion and clarity in this book will appeal to anyone who has wondered about what endures--and why."

--Evan Osnos, winner of the National Book Award, author of Wildland: The Making of America's Fury

"Richard Rhodes' Stone is a magisterial work which makes a lasting contribution to so many disciplines: sculpting, architecture, history of ideas, psychology, minerology, and many others. A working artist, Rhodes is also a student of human culture, and a commentor on the values implicit in the structures we build for ourselves."

--James Hollis, Ph.D. is a Jungian analyst and author, most recently of Living Between Worlds: Finding Resilience in Challenging Times

"Rhodes succeeds in articulating both his extraordinary knowledge of the subject while embroidering it with deep philosophical and poetic insights. He weaves in instructive narratives from his apprenticeship and professional practice with great humility, illustrating how he learned from these occasionally tough experiences. Most art historians like me as well as committed cultural tourists who take an active interest in the environments through which they wander while on vacation would find their visual experience immeasurably enhanced by having read this book. The extraordinary breadth of geographical locations the book offers to illustrate specific examples of masonry and architecture--whether urban or rustic, ancient or relatively recent, secular or sacred--vastly expands the book's appeal. With uncommon erudition, Rhodes shares his deeply humanistic philosophy and strikes a judicious balance between addressing both the professional and the much-vaunted "general reader". I am that reader and I thoroughly enjoyed it."

--Dr. Tom Flynn FRSA, is a London-based art historian, sculpture critic, and author. His best-known book, The Body in Three Dimensions, has been widely translated

"Richard Rhodes's book on stone is at once encyclopedic and poetic. Richard literally circles the globe and travels through the ages to find the stones that are most expressive of the human soul. As he makes clear in these chapters, building stone is not just material--it is a living thing that can, if properly appreciated and respected, both shelter and inspire. I learned something new on every page, even about subjects like ancient Roman roads and Puglian trulli that I thought I knew a lot about. The writing is always engaging and the photos alone constitute a fascinating art/architectural history course. I have come to look at stone buildings, roads, arches, walls and bridges in a whole new light thanks to Richard's guidance. This book truly reflects a lifetime of knowledge, travel, meditation, and hands-on experience with the hardest, most enduring, most expressive materials our planet affords."

--David Laskin is the author of a number of award-winning nonfiction books, including The Children's Blizzard and The Family. He writes frequently about Italy for the New York Times. His first novel, What Sammy Knew, was published in March 2021

"Richard Rhodes' Stone: Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery provides an intriguing perspective on a foundational material from a master builder and sculptor. This rigorously researched, thoughtfully assembled study of stone in architecture across the globe and throughout time seeks to reconnect modern readers to the ancient practice of stonework, guided by tradition and a deep understanding that goes far beyond aesthetics and ornamentation. I have always believed that the best work results from this kind of reciprocal relationship with craft and materiality; here, Rhodes brings his critical eye and wealth of experience to an examination of the artistry and essential qualities of stonework, as well as its widespread impact on our collective culture and values--and our collective legacy."

--Tom Kundig, principal, Olson Kundig. Tom has received some of the world's highest design honors, including a National Design Award in Architecture from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, an Academy Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and an election to the National Academy as an Academician in Architecture

Author Bio

A Seattle, Washington-based sculptor, stonemason,entrepreneur, and scholar of stonework worldwide, RichardRhodes apprenticedas a stonemason in Siena, Italy, after graduate studies at the London Academy ofMusic andDramatic Art.As the firstnon-Italian admitted into Sienas medieval masonic guild (the operativebranchof the Freemasons, heirs to the cathedral builders of Europe) in 726 years, he isknown throughout the sculpture and stonecommunity as the last apprentice since the guild collapsed in the mid-1990s.It was during his guild training that Rhodesfirst encountered the ancient rulesets calledSacredGeometriesand theSacred Rules of Bondwork,foundational knowledge from the 5,000-year tradition of stoneexpression.Though now branching into other media such ascast bronze, Rhodes credits his guild training as themajor influence in hissculpture practice.