BARRY MORENTZ was motivated by his love for language and handwriting to study calligraphy. After 45 years he remains fascinated and challenged by the power and beauty of letterforms to dramatically convey the emotional power of a text. Shakespeare, Danté, and the music of Brahms, Elgar, Verdi and Wagner continually inspire his calligraphic interpretations.
In his midtown Manhattan residence he creates calligraphic works and hand-made books, boxes, and portfolios. He began his formal calligraphic studies, primarily with Sheila Waters, in 1977, and eventually with Gottfried Pott, Hermann Zapf, and numerous other calligraphic luminaries. A highlight of his education was paleographic studies in Rome and the Vatican Library.
He has taught at 5 international conferences and has led workshops in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and throughout the US and Canada. In 2017 he presented an extensive talk and demonstration at the Pen Museum in Birmingham, UK. When not slumped over his writing desk he spends his time in gourmet food shops and cooking while bombing out on Wagnerian opera.