The Last Apprentice

Known as “The Last Apprentice” in the stone and sculpture community, Richard Rhodes documents the ancient art of stone masonry that he first learned in Europe’s oldest masonry guild—dating back to the 13th century.

With the guild’s dissolution in the mid-1990s, Richard wrote his recent book, Stone, Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery (Princeton Architectural Press) out of a sense of responsibility to record this deep-rooted craft or else let the knowledge be obscured—or worse, lost completely.

In his lecture, Richard discusses challenges and triumphs from his career as an apprentice, stone mason, and sculptor. He not only details the principles of stonework, but also illuminates—as renowned critic Paul Goldberger observes in the book’s Forward—the transcendent quality of stone as humanity’s longstanding building material.

Speaker:

A Seattle, Washington-based sculptor, stonemason, entrepreneur, and scholar of stonework worldwide, 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 Siena’s medieval masonic guild (the operative branch of the Freemasons, heirs to the cathedral builders of Europe) in 726 years, he is known throughout the sculpture and stone community as the “last apprentice” since the guild collapsed in the mid-1990s. It was during his guild training that Rhodes first encountered the ancient rulesets called Sacred Geometries and the Sacred Rules of Bondwork, foundational knowledge from the 5,000-year tradition of stone expression. Though now branching into other media such as cast bronze, Rhodes credits his guild training as the major influence in his sculpture practice.

This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website or contact the Chapter directly for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.