CONSTRUCTION:
My hand-dyed fabrics, commercial fabrics, several different nets, velvet, chiffon, sequins, stars, pearls, images transferred via acrylic gel medium. Ex Libris pie girl was hand colored with Pentel colored pencils.
INSPIRATION:
American Pie was created for the Quilt Art ABC 70's challenge. I immediately flashed on my favorite song from the 1970's, Don McCleans' American Pie. So, who was he singing bye bye to anyways? Some icon of female perfection, I imagined. Then I went on to imagine a woman popping out of a steaming hot pie (instead of a cake). Thus the many pies...
AWARDS:
Won 3rd place General Viewers in the Quilt Art ABC 70's challenge.
Won Honorable Mention at the Santa Cruz Mountain Arts Center Edible Art Show in August 2000. Comment of Juror Sally Jorgensen was as follows: Julie Zaccone Stillers' quilt "American Pie" is a loud "look at me" work that reveals interesting complexities upon further perusal. The curious juxtaposition of pop icons invites one to engage in feminist analysis. Quilts have a long history as symbols of feminist communion and as a political tool (serving as signals to slaves in the underground railroad for example). The multi-layered meanings depicted here carry on that tradition. Sally Jorgensen is the chair of Open Studios committe of the Cultural Council in Santa Cruz, California. SCAL Santa Cruz Art League past president and a professional artist.
Detail of the "white" girl, an unknown model, she is surrounded by several types of netting, red stars and pearls.
Marilyn Monroe in a casual seated pose, surrounded by sumptuous red velvet, studded with pearls and gold stars
