Meet Austin Sculptor Matthew Johnson, a Master of Stone, Patience and Purpose
For more than two decades, Johnson has created bespoke fireplaces, fountains and sculptural commissions by hand
Nearly every workday, sculptor Matthew Johnson wakes up early and arrives at his studio as the sun comes up. He may begin hammering away on a freshly cut piece of stone recently delivered from a local limestone mill or start sanding a piece close to completion, smoothing away jagged edges to near perfection. Whatever it may be, once he gets started, the hours begin to pass by unnoticed. Sometimes, he forgets to look up until mid-afternoon.
To him, this is a sacred state, a zone of unhurried and undivided attention and one of his favorite feelings in the world. It’s also one of the things that drew him to pursue stone carving full time after working an apprenticeship toward the end of college. Post graduation, most other students in his Southwestern University philosophy program went on to attend graduate school, but something about the steady, meditative days spent shaping stone drew Johnson to the ancient craft. Besides, Socrates had been a sculptor.
The patience behind the craft
Since 2004, Johnson has run his own Austin-based business, Bartlett Stone Carving. While most similar businesses rely on a team to handle the long and intricate craft of bespoke stonework, Johnson performs every step of the process himself, from the initial hand-drawn design to final chiseled detail. This level of attention and craftsmanship means he annually produces about three to four commissioned pieces, which can range from an entryway to a fountain. And even though most of his clients hear of him through word-of-mouth, Johnson’s hands are rarely idle.
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On a sunny Saturday in late June, Johnson was leisurely drinking coffee in the kitchen of the home of his client and old friend, Anya Darrow. He had recently finished a commission for her — a Central Texas-inspired limestone mantelpiece carved with the image of a bowed oak tree, native fauna and flora engraved throughout.. “It’s one of a kind. It’s something people can appreciate as a work of art. It has sentiment,” Darrow says. “It wasn’t about having a fireplace. It was about having this fireplace. And you only get that with an artisan.”
The art of slowing down
In stone carving, going slow isn’t just a helpful suggestion, but a necessity in ensuring the integrity and excellence of the design, Johnson says. “If you try to go too fast, you end up having to fix mistakes.” A piece needed for a certain detail may pop off. A straight edge may get curved. What some could perceive as a minor hiccup may require a complete restart. “There’s no going back,” he says. “You’ve got to get it right on the money, and you can’t fake that.”
For Johnson, that philosophy of patience and intentionality has extended far beyond his studio walls. To him, stone carving is much more than a job or craft; it’s a calling. “What you do really does shape who you are,” he says. “The slowness affects how you think and see the world.” And that way of living, for Johnson, seems to become more rare every day in a modern era defined by fast paces and distracting technology. “It feels like the world is so hurried.” Of course, stressful days arise and deadlines loom, he says, “but I’m not ever in a hurry.”
“I’m a craftsman, and I’m also an artist,” Johnson says. And as an artist, he believes it’s important not only that his work portray beauty — it should remind people how to live. His message is simple: “Slow down, don’t give in to distraction and make things more beautiful than how you found them.”
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