Adrian Saxe

Adrian Saxe is a ceramic artist known for juxtaposing the Historic and the Now with a trippy sense of humor. His latest musings in the show "GRIN — Genetic Robotic Information Nano," at Frank Lloyd Gallery through Jan. 7, incorporate Quick Response (QR) codes, or the square bar codes, into sculpture that emulate antique Chinese vases and scholar's rocks — rocks collected for their unusual and evocative forms. "Made to seduce and then betray, Saxe's elegant vessels present provocative concepts," curator Martha Drexler Lynn wrote for his 1993 retrospective at LACMA, "The Clay Art of Adrian Saxe.

Adrian Saxe is a ceramic artist known for juxtaposing the Historic and the Now with a trippy sense of humor. His latest musings in the show "GRIN — Genetic Robotic Information Nano," at Frank Lloyd Gallery through Jan. 7, incorporate Quick Response (QR) codes, or the square bar codes, into sculpture that emulate antique Chinese vases and scholar's rocks — rocks collected for their unusual and evocative forms. "Made to seduce and then betray, Saxe's elegant vessels present provocative concepts," curator Martha Drexler Lynn wrote for his 1993 retrospective at LACMA, "The Clay Art of Adrian Saxe.

Smart pots, sexy pots, cultured pots--Adrian Saxe's gorgeous ceramic vessels are regularly tagged by admiring critics with human attributes of braininess, erotic allure and exquisite refinement, as if the vessels themselves were breathing, sentient creatures rather than hand-fashioned lumps of clay transformed by fire. The miraculous power of an almost godlike, pagan magic is unconsciously implied.

If there was a landmark art event for 1993, the disastrous installment last March of New York's Whitney Biennial was it. The show rivaled the train wreck sequence in "The Fugitive." Hating the Whitney Biennial is, of course, a countrywide biennial sport. The show always begs for critical slams, since virtually any "national survey of recent artistic trends" inevitably fails to celebrate the virtues of this, that or the other pet artist, idea or peeve cherished by the viewer.

As much as Tim Rutten might wish, homicidal attacks cannot be legislated out of existence. He can, however, own a gun and protect himself and his family. Who knows, some day he might even stop a madman from killing somebody. Imagine if just one patron of Luby's cafeteria in Killeen, Tex., was armed and shot back. God knows how many lives would have been saved. ROBERT W. BURKE Laguna Niguel

If there was a landmark art event for 1993, the disastrous installment last March of New York's Whitney Biennial was it. The show rivaled the train wreck sequence in "The Fugitive." Hating the Whitney Biennial is, of course, a countrywide biennial sport. The show always begs for critical slams, since virtually any "national survey of recent artistic trends" inevitably fails to celebrate the virtues of this, that or the other pet artist, idea or peeve cherished by the viewer.

A panel discussion in conjunction with Scripps College's "52nd Ceramic Annual" exhibition will be held tonight at 8 at the Humanities Auditorium on the college campus in Claremont. Participants are author Elaine Levin, curator Martha Drexler Lynn, and artists Ken Price and Adrian Saxe. Information: (909) 607-3397.

Looking for holiday gifts made in L.A.? Peter Shire and team design and hand-form these ceramic mugs at his Echo Park studio. The splatter series of mugs were inspired by the paintings of Sam Francis and the ceramic construction techniques of Adrian Saxe . Echo Park Pottery's espresso mugs start at $30 and are available at LACMA and the Dream Collective in Silver Lake. Echoparkpottery.com . ALSO: Homemade candied citrus peels Granny's sugar cookies Vending machine caviar

CRAFTS Pacific Craft Show judge Adrian Saxe speaks at the O.C. Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach. Noon. Today. (949) 759-1122. GARDENING Larry Baumgartner talks about gardening at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave. Noon. Wednesday. (949) 717-3801. CHILDREN Kids ages 5 to 7 can make wreaths. Oak Canyon Nature Center, 6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, Anaheim Hills. 3:30 p.m. Today. $3. (714) 998-8380. AUTHOR T. Jefferson Parker discusses his books.

In Irvine, anybody who fires up a leaf blower on a Sunday is violating city law. While the use of leaf blowers is allowed Monday through Saturday until 5 p.m., the city has established rigorous rules of operation. All leaf blowers used in the city must first be tested and approved by city officials and must bear a city approval label. Anyone who wants to use an approved leaf blower must complete a city training session. The operator must take the course every two years.

Smart pots, sexy pots, cultured pots--Adrian Saxe's gorgeous ceramic vessels are regularly tagged by admiring critics with human attributes of braininess, erotic allure and exquisite refinement, as if the vessels themselves were breathing, sentient creatures rather than hand-fashioned lumps of clay transformed by fire. The miraculous power of an almost godlike, pagan magic is unconsciously implied.

As much as Tim Rutten might wish, homicidal attacks cannot be legislated out of existence. He can, however, own a gun and protect himself and his family. Who knows, some day he might even stop a madman from killing somebody. Imagine if just one patron of Luby's cafeteria in Killeen, Tex., was armed and shot back. God knows how many lives would have been saved. ROBERT W. BURKE Laguna Niguel

Although it's never wise to count out such smaller venues as the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Lannan Foundation, LACE, assorted college galleries and other such spaces around town, it seems the Museum of Contemporary Art and the L.A. County Museum of Art have a lock on the fall art season--institutionally speaking. Museum of Contemporary Art.

Adrian Saxe executes his technically complex and conceptually sophisticated sculptures with so much dazzling virtuosity that you'd swear he could make a pile of excrement look beautiful. In fact, that's exactly what he's done once more in 19 new works at Frank Lloyd Gallery. Each of Saxe's magic lamps stands on a nasty, earth-toned clump of stoneware that looks like feces. Perched coquettishly atop these swirled masses of petrified clay are delicate vessels made of porcelain or earthenware.