Fire and Fiber | Tarja Cockell and Carol Rissman | March 29–April 30 at Loading Dock Gallery

Cockell’s work begins on the loom.  She pushes dimensional possibilities of an initially flat form, using structural manipulation and layers with a variety of media to achieve elegant and painterly art. Trained in Finland, Cockell emphasizes subtle colorways and clean, simple shapes.

Rissman explores how clay can respond to and take on the characteristics of cloth. Her work is woven and tied. It flows and ripples. She pushes clay’s boundaries to create fabric-like pieces: quiet, minimal, and meditative. The finished surfaces have a burnished glow.

Cockell lives in North Andover, Rissman in Bedford. Both artists work out of Western Avenue Studios in Lowell.