Comment on this story What: League of United Nonconformist Artists When: Thru Sept. 3 Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike (523-4176)

Four L.U.N.A. members exhibit their art

by Heather Joyner Spica

Regarding the Knoxville area “art scene” until only recently, one might recall the following quote: “To have an avant garde you have to have a garde” (Sir Hugh Casson, The Daily Telegraph, 1974). If that remark seems at all applicable, it stands to reason that when an artists’ group was formed in Oak Ridge approximately 25 years ago and called itself “L.U.N.A.,” the name was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. An acronym for “League of United Nonconformist Artists,” L.U.N.A. has had many members throughout the years, including four women presently exhibiting their work at the Unitarian church on Kingston Pike. Although the art on display is not necessarily “ahead of its time,” its creators represent some of the earliest local stirrings of cooperative ventures between artists outside of a university setting or gallery affiliation.

L.U.N.A. specifics aside, I’m always impressed by artists who meet regularly, put shows together, etc.; such joint efforts are remarkable, if only because making art is usually an independent activity that leaves little time for much else. Yet these semi-formal liaisons forge ahead, often without much support from the public, no matter how community-minded the artists. The participants’ desire to encourage one another and their appreciation for the art itself—not thirst for fame or fortune—seem to hold it all together.

Included in the current show are woven tapestries by Marti Fleischer, manipulated digital photography by Mignon Naegeli, a dozen collages by Aase Vaslow, and mixed-media work by Phyllis Wichner. Despite having little in common beyond the L.U.N.A. affiliation, they constitute a pleasingly casual mix, not unlike unmatched chairs on a patio in summer.

As for what distinguishes this particular show, Naegeli says, “In a way, it’s proof that you continue working all your life...if you have an artist’s brain, it’s always going to rattle.”

Naegeli’s colorful and sometimes surreal prints possess a graphic brashness reminiscent of Warhol, whereas Wichner’s textured constructions exude lyricism found in particularly poetic examples of Abstract Expressionism. A solid background in weaving shared by Fleischer and Vaslow connects some pieces; it’s more loosely evident in Vaslow’s collages, incorporating bits of paper and other elements into the sort of unified whole we expect in textile or fiber art.

Memorable pieces are Naegeli’s 35mm and digital-camera-generated images “...created with digital paint brushes, pens, and other magical tools on a Macintosh computer.” “Princess,” for instance, features a picture of a cow’s head that’s been manipulated to produce bands of color streaming outward from the animal’s neck. Looming gold eyes lend the “portrait” a spooky nocturnal quality that evokes a world beyond the bucolic barnyard. “Nosy” zeroes in on a feline face, allowing us to appreciate its limited appearance. Naegeli’s animal images are strongest when removed from a specific context in which they might seem cute or mundane. Vaslow’s groupings of silhouetted figures are similarly iconic, although less humorous; there’s a certain solemnity to their anonymity.

In works like Vaslow’s “Collective Unconsciousness” and “There Is Always an Explanation,” the artist alludes to perils of the modern era in very subtle ways. “Collective Unconsciousness” uses what appear to be the insides of bank or security envelopes to form shapes composing an imposing urban environment. A dozen cutout tanks and outlines of soldiers inhabit the latter composition, juxtaposing a childlike simplicity with symbols of very real horrors. Messages are cleverly conveyed at precisely the right pitch.

Personally, I find Fleischer’s less-imagistic weaving most satisfying. More effective in disguising limitations of the medium (such as an Etch-a-Sketch jaggedness affecting round things like faces in “One In A Million”), Fleischer’s abstraction also frees up her palette, and depth is a matter of perception, not illusionism. As for Wichner’s brand of abstraction, her assemblages are so materials-driven they could easily be overwhelmed by individual components. But even with what resembles bloody gauze, they manage to function on a visual rather than conceptual level.

Whether or not aforementioned works are thematically linked or otherwise harmonious, they all reflect local careers that have evolved throughout decades. Fleischer is a past president of the American Tapestry Alliance and Tapestry Weavers South, and Wichner owns a shop in Oak Ridge that specializes in handmade clothing—including knit sweaters and embroidered skirts designed by the artist. Originally from Denmark, Vaslow is—like Swiss-born Naegeli—an accomplished photographer (as well as a tapestry artist and collagist). For these women, versatility is apparently the key to artistic longevity. And longevity is what L.U.N.A. has come to signify; it turns out meeting with kindred spirits for lunch every Friday can be habit-forming. And for those of us interested in art, that’s a good thing.

July 29, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 31 © 2004 Metro Pulse