Category: Profiles in Stone

In perhaps his last interview, Dean James Parks Morton talks about his vision and passion in establishing the apprentice stoneyard program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The program therefore revived building the Cathedral, which had been dormant since 1941. The Dean brought in English Masons skilled in traditional methods of stone cutting. As a result, they taught minority men and women the skills to build the Cathedral towers. Morton recounts his memories of the stoneyard with Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Robert F. Rodriguez at The Interchurch Center on November 19, 2015.

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Robert F. Rodriguez

Robert is a New York based photojournalist, photo editor and videographer. He has a distinguished 40 year career in newspapers and magazines. Robert is a past president of the New York Press Photographers. He became an artist-in-residence at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine when he met Dean Morton and began documenting the stoneyard. In his own words…

My relationship with the Cathedral and the building program goes back to around 1980 when I met with Dean Morton about photographing the program through a photojournalist’s eyes. I felt this was such a unique project that needed to be properly and fully documented. The Dean gave me carte blanche to cover the program and for the next dozen years I became involved in the fabric not only of the stoneyard program but Cathedral life in general. I became immersed in the building project and learned about boasting patterns, Indiana limestone, crocketts, ashlars and was awed by the process and by the creativity of the crew. I became good friends with many of the stonecutters and carvers and have maintained relationships with many.

Dean Morton became a very important person in my life. He officiated over my wedding to Stephanie Azzarone and, wonderfully, helped us renew our vows after 25 years. (We like to say that Dean Morton gave us the “extended warranty.”) I live only a few blocks from the Cathedral and I often look at the tower and, like Dean Morton said in my video, perhaps one day soon it will continue.

– robert f. rodriguez

Because he is normally behind the lens, this photo of Robert working in the stoneyard is a rare one. We are grateful to Robert for the video of Dean Morton reminiscing about his favorite stoneyard. Likewise we thank him for the many photos he shared with us.

Images in and on cathedrals have been used since medieval times to convey important stories. In the Middle Ages a significant percentage of the population was illiterate. Therefore art became necessary for teaching purposes. These traditions carry over to contemporary cathedrals. So it was that head carver Joseph Kincannon decided to honor Nelson Mandela with a carving. He assigned 24 year old Emmanuel Fourchet to carve the sculpture. A cornice on the southwest tower facing Harlem would be the destination. This linked Mandela and the Cathedral.

Mandela’s long 27 year imprisonment was coming to a close and he had gained international acclaim for his activism. He would later become the President of South Africa in 1994. The carving followed the Cathedral’s mission.

“The Cathedral was founded as ‘a center for intellectual light and leadership’. From the beginning, this has been a place for social and political activism, the exploration of ideas, and for the community in the widest sense. As times change, the conversations change.”

Cathedral St. John the Divine

Manu Fourchet was one of the first to come to the Cathedral in an exchange program with Les Compagnons du Devoir, the companions of duty. It is a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages. Therefore it was an ancient apprentice program. He came as an accomplished banker mason with a great deal of letter cutting experience. His work shows that he was a natural carver. Mandela and the Cathedral carving was one of his first.

Emmanuel Fourchet Continues to Carve

Later, when Cathedral Stoneworks took on commercial work, he went to Pittsburgh and worked under Nicholas Fairplay. The project involved the intricate carvings for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts. This was one of the first Cathedral Stoneworks ventures into commercial work whose profits would keep the Cathedral building. The project combined traditional hand carving, and computer aided technology. After three years, this project completed and Manu returned to Lyon, France where he is an important leader in the field of stone carving and restoration.

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Watch this site for a special edition next week – An Interview with James Parks Morton by Robert F. Rodriguez, Memories of the Stoneyard.

Ruben Gibson rose through obsessively hard work from apprentice to stonecutter to carver to lead carver. Remembering Ruben, his contributions to the cathedral and his unique leadership role is important. The Cathedral Stoneyard Institute trained him to head the team of eight sculptors in the carving shed. There they transform rough hewn limestone into the intricately sculpted cornices, pinnacles, and capitals. The previous lead carver was an English master mason, Nicholas Fairplay.

Ruben Gibson grew up in a middle-class home in St. Albans, Queens, the son of a subway motorman. From his earliest days he drew and painted with astonishing skill and accuracy. After graduating from Richmond High School he studied English for three years at Long Island University. While In his 20’s. he lived in the Bronx, painting signs and becoming engrossed in sculpture, painting and theology. In 1979 he quit a job as an administrator at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Finally Ruben found the perfect marriage of his artistic talent and his spiritual quest – the building of a cathedral.

His associates said Ruben led a monastic, reclusive life completely devoted to stone carving. Most noteworthy it was said that he often found fault with large institutions like colleges and churches.

Remembering Ruben Early On

One of Ruben’s early jobs was being in charge of the machine shop. Steve Boyle, the master mason, was remembering Ruben in this job. “It entailed estimating which stones could be cut from the rough block and slabs. He would then oversee the sawing process ensuring that the overall dimensions of the stones were accurately cut to size. It was also important that the correct orientation of the natural beds were followed. In this way, when the stone was placed with the bed in a horizontal position it was in compression. This position required a good understanding of the fabrication process and a cool head. There was constant pressure to produce enough trade work pieces to keep the stonecutters going. Likewise there needed to be sufficient ashlars and quoins to maintain a respectable cube rate.

Ruben was well up to this task and was meticulous, painstaking and competent in his approach to everything. As a result he always produced work of a high standard in whatever capacity he was in. He demonstrated skill and talent at working with stone. Eventually these qualities led to him becoming the lead carver.”

“I wouldn’t hesitate to say he turned out the best carvings of all of us.”

-Joseph Kincannon

Remembering Ruben’s Humor and Leadership

As the de facto leader among the workers, he was the first to champion any workers’ issues with management. Therefore Ruben always pushed for the advancement of his co-workers for whom he was a courageous and eloquent spokesman. When he took the floor, he was formidable, direct and uncompromising. John Walsh was the master of the stoneyard who appointed Mr. Gibson lead carver. Walsh said he was sometimes difficult to work with because he had strong opinions. Mr. Walsh would occasionally hire a talented sculptor from out of town. Ruben objected and wanted more stone carvers recruited from Harlem and other inner city neighborhoods.

Ruben was quick to laugh and everyone wanted to be his friend. Furthermore he was a person of unwavering strong convictions. Even so, they never begrudged him his hard lined stances. The grotesque he carved for the tower demonstrates his skepticism of the church hierarchy. It depicts an impish face with a large nose and tongue sticking out. Hence the face looks directly at Dean Morton’s office, the source of some of the policies Ruben disagreed with.

Humorous Grotesque

In August of 1988, Ruben Gibson’s work was cut short. He died of kidney failure at the age of 39. He passed away in the AIDS ward at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center. His co-workers visited him often throughout this time. Remembering Ruben as a complex, talented and genuine person always.

His loss is a deep loss, it’s not just a matter of filling his slot, because he was totally dedicated to the enterprise. It was his life.

-Rev. James Parks Morton

• New York Times, Jan 29,1989
• New York Times, Feb 23, 2001
• Los Angeles Times, Oct 31, 1987
• Thank you to all his co-workers for their memories.