"Hypnopomp: Britt Ragsdale" A haunting, humming audio emanates from the sheet-draped forms that cling to the walls and floor of Lawndale's room 317. After a couple seconds in "Hypnopomp," Britt Ragsdale's third-floor installation at Lawndale Art Center, you realize that the crumpled sheets seem to obscure bodies curled in the fetal position or sprawled in sleep — or maybe death. You begin to pick out the shapes of hips and rears and shoulders from the mounded terrain of the fabric. Are they people, or are they apparitions? Do you dare peek under the fabric or place your hand on a shoulder? The sheets are cream-colored, rather than a cold white, lending a warm somnolence to the sculptures. (FYI: They were created by molding wire mesh over models, and the baroque folds of the drapery are held in place by liquid starch.) The figures on the walls, stuck there like spitballs, are most unsettling. Through incredibly simple means, Ragsdale has conjured up a hallucinatory, otherworldly environment. Through December 19. 4912 Main, 713-528-5858. — KK
"Lisa Orr: Epergnier" Lisa Orr's functional ceramics blend funky forms together with richly colored and loosely applied glazes. There is a freewheeling Rococo vibe to Orr's work; the Austin artist adds bits of molded clay ornamentation and even employs pastry bags to create icing-like swirls on her objects. For her exhibition at Optical Project, Orr is showing everything from over-the-top tiered vases and large serving bowls to skewed coffee mugs and a little, marvelously goofy butter dish. It's inspiring to see functional objects created with exuberance — it'll make you want sign up for the nearest ceramics class, or at least do some holiday shopping. Through December 24. 1125 E 11th St., 713-863-7112. — KK