Portrait by Christiaan Blok

John T. Morris’ Skills Celebrate
the Natural Beauty of Stone

A photographer was sent out to take a portrait of stone artist John T. Morris and came back with a photo of only his hands: tough, weathered, calloused, scarred and strong. The picture said it all. While one’s anatomy may sometimes affect one’s destiny, Morris’ destiny has left its everlasting mark on his anatomy. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Santa Fe artisan insists on using a hammer and chisel in place of grinders and saws. His active engagement in surfing, snowboarding and Bikram yoga keeps him supple enough to spend hours on his knees, chipping large sheets of flagstone to fit together as cleanly as pieces of hand-tooled leather.

Photography by ROBERT RECK Various sizes of stacked stone form a textured wall in a master bathroom that was inspired by Anasazi ruins.

His great respect and ardor for his medium dictates his aim: to let the stone do the talking. He only clears the way. From limestone walls to fanciful sandstone towers, he raises the everyday to the level of sublime and brings outlandish projects into being in such a way that they seem sensible and necessary.

To know Morris is to come away with the sense that his is an eternal soul, married to stone for all time. His passion is that which could fuel the completion of a vast cathedral, but in this lifetime, we get to enjoy expressions of his creativity in the form of walls, floors, fireplaces, benches, and even a massive bathroom—its walls made entirely of Anasazi-style stacked stone.

When asked about his sources of inspiration, this Master of the Southwest doesn’t come back with a theory- or concept-laden response. “I’m inspired by the stone itself,” he says. “If I’m making a wall, I don’t choose the next stone based on color; I choose it according to how well it fits into the wall and how little I will need to cut away.” This philosophy extends to a reliance on and preference for stone from New Mexico. “I work with the stones that come from here, and automatically they look like they belong here. They both make up the Southwest and the colors of the Southwest.”