Hammer, chisel, stone: simple tools for hard moments | Richard Rhodes | TEDxSeattle

Would you start a project that you knew you could not complete in your lifetime? In this 2020 TEDxSeattle talk, Richard Rhodes challenges you to do just that, and shares lessons he’s learned from decades of sculpting stone by hand.

Rhodes describes technology as a barrier between humans and the material world. He shows that tackling difficult, lengthy projects by hand allows time for reflection and problem-solving, and ultimately inspires creativity--a quality that’s particularly necessary in hard times.

4:23 - Hear how technology removes our connection to the physical product of our work.
5:53 - See what happens to our bodies and minds when we tackle hard tasks.

More to explore:
See more of Rhodes’ work here: https://rhodesworksdesign.com/
Check out Carl Honoré’s TED Talk, “In praise of slowness”:
https://www.ted.com/talks/carl_honore_in_praise_of_slowness
EJ Osborne explains the life changing process of wood carving, in “How to make a wooden spoon” at TEDxBrighton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4upXR6k5Y
See Matt Crawford explore the idea of “Manual Competence” at TEDxEast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdGky1JZovg
Watch Gever Tulley explain Tinker School in his TED Talk, “Life lessons through tinkering”: https://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_life_lessons_through_tinkering
As a Seattle-based sculptor, stonemason, and entrepreneur, Richard Rhodes is quite literally hands-on in his work. Rhodes takes pride in the value of the tactile in his pieces—especially in today’s digital world.

His California upbringing might lead you to believe he’s laid-back, but Rhodes embraces the intensity and focus of working with stone. Primarily working in granite or high-density limestone, his work is deeply textural, relying primarily on the expressive hand finishes wrought with the hammer and chisel. He credits his time in Italy as a stonemason apprentice as a turning point that built the foundation of his sculptural practice.

Regardless of material, Rhodes examines the relationship between art, architecture, and the human experience. His work, often many times larger than human scale, explores mass with deceptively simple compositional gestures.

Rhodes is the founder of several businesses. This includes Seattle-based Rhodes Architectural Stone, known for the successful recycling of antique stone material from behind China’s Three Gorges Dam. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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