Barbara Danzi's Large-Scale Abstract Quilts Blend Engineering and Fabric Art
Barbara Danzi specializes in creating large-scale abstract quilts using solid-colored cotton fabric, which she freehand cuts and arranges on a 20-foot design wall. After studying Engineering at Cornell University, she shifted her focus from science to fabric art. Her notable pieces include "Circular Flow" (73" x 71"), "Pathway" (43" x 55"), "Entanglement" (85" x 62"), "Fields and Farrows" (83" x 101"), "Left Turn" (86" x 64"), "Embers" (72" x 79"), "Power Struggle" (85" x 88"), "Chromatic Inversion" (41" x 65"), and "Countercurrent" (75" x 85"). Danzi’s artwork has been showcased internationally and has garnered various awards. Currently, she is working on a series inspired by the Los Angeles River and is affiliated with multiple textile organizations.
Key facts
- Barbara Danzi creates large-scale abstract quilts for the wall using cotton fabric and thread
- She learned to sew as a pre-teen at the Brooklyn YWCA and took after-school art classes at the Brooklyn Museum
- Danzi studied Engineering at Cornell University and worked in science and technology for many years
- She freehand-cuts solid-colored fabric with a rotary cutter and arranges parts on a 20-foot-wide design wall
- Her palette includes hundreds of solid colors, some hand-dyed, and she layers quilt top, batting and backing before stitching
- Works include "Circular Flow" (73" x 71"), "Fields and Farrows" (83" x 101") and "Power Struggle" (85" x 88")
- Her quilts have been exhibited on four continents and are held in personal and corporate collections
- She won awards including Outstanding Abstract Design and Best in Show
- She is developing work about the Los Angeles River and its environmental and social justice issues
- She is a Juried Artist Member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and a Certified Judge in the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges
Entities
Artists
- Barbara Danzi
Institutions
- Brooklyn YWCA
- Brooklyn Museum
- Cornell University
- Studio Art Quilt Associates
- Textile Arts Los Angeles
- Textile Study Group of New York
- Textile Art Gallery NYC
- Modern Quilt Guild
- Surface Design Association
- National Association of Certified Quilt Judges
- Artsy Shark
Locations
- Brooklyn
- United States
- Los Angeles
- New York