Hot ‘Time,’ summer in the city, at UM gallery

“Time and the City,” through Aug. 10 at the University of Maine Museum of Art, Orono.

The cityscape is a bit of a rarity in Maine. We’re so used to seeing seascapes and landscapes in galleries that urban scenes seem jarring, unexpected, exciting.

That sense of excitement fuels the University of Maine Museum of Art’s summer exhibit, “Time and the City.” The exhibit spans from Giovanni Piranesi’s etchings of 18th century Rome to “D Train,” a 1988 silkscreen by Richard Estes that was the impetus behind the exhibition.

“D Train,” which depicts lower Manhattan in photorealistic detail, was given to the museum shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Framed by steel girders at a subway platform, the World Trade Center’s twin towers were merely part of the skyline when Estes made the print. Now, they’re a poignant reminder of the way a city can change over a short period of time.

The passage of time is more obvious, though less striking, in a series of 12 prints on the opposite wall. Car models, gas lines, long-destroyed diners and unsophisticated photo-reproduction techniques give the works by John Baeder and Hilo Chen a dated feel, yet there’s something appealing about them. They depict things we can’t get back, even if we wanted to.

That sentiment pervades a series of photographs by Eugene Atget, a 19th century documentarian who photographed bits of Paris – storefronts and public spaces – about to be demolished as the city grew. Though Atget sold his “studies” to painters so he could support himself, his photography inspired artists long after his death. The photographer Berenice Abbott counted Atget as one of her strongest influences, and her portraits of New York City, in particular a picture of a shop selling religious statuary, show the similarity in their work.

Atget’s influence (along with that of Edward Hopper) can also be seen in Martin Lewis’ “Late Traveler,” a drypoint etching of a woman walking downstairs to a subway station. The light is soft and nostalgic, and in a small image, the viewer gets the sense of an era – of the time and the city.

The exhibit, which includes 96 works by 46 artists, shows a wide variety of styles, from an Impressionistic turn-of-the-century painting of Bangor to a glossy mixed- media bazaar by Robert Rauschenberg. It digs deep into the museum’s permanent collection to provide a glimpse into the heart and soul of city life.

The University of Maine Museum of Art is located in Carnegie Hall on the Orono campus. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, call 581-3255 or visit http://umma.umecah.maine.edu/index2.html.

“Rotation,” recent work by gallery artists, through Aug. 29 at the Clark House Gallery, 128 Hammond St., Bangor.

Rather than show an individual’s style, group shows exhibit a gallery’s style and sensibilities. “Rotation,” aptly named for the fact that the pieces will change throughout the summer, shows the most recent works by more than 20 artists at the Clark House Gallery in Bangor. Though the subject matter and genres vary, the works are bound together by their quality, clarity and vision.

This show includes work by familiar names and newcomers to the gallery, but even the old favorites are full of surprises. Dennis Pinette, known for his rich, textured landscapes, dips his toes into the water with a group of luminous seascapes. Waves seem to glow from within as they crash against sharp rocks, sending spray into grayish-plum skies. In these, Pinette brings his mastery of color and light into a new realm – out of the woods and into the ocean.

Nils Obel, a former illustrator for the Smithsonian Institution, shows diminutive fruits and vegetables in exacting detail. He gives his drawings depth by scratching into the paper and delicately shading his subjects. Carl Hyatt, a photographer who exhibits nationally, makes his Clark House debut with an arresting portrait of Ansel Adams, whose light eyes stare piercingly off to the side.

Gaylen Morgan, who has shown work at the gallery for several years, introduces photographs from her “Windows” series, including a stunning shot from inside a pottery studio – a clay-spattered light bulb in the foreground, and lush, ivy-covered panes in the background. In the spirit of Robert Doisneau, gallery newcomer Michael Grillo offers portraits of intimacy. In one photograph, a couple passionately embraces in the middle of a city square, almost unnoticed by busy passers-by. In another, a young couple holds hands, unaware of the photographer as they glance partially at each other, partially out the window.

Gallery regular Ed Nadeau shows the first in a series of paintings featuring a stark, black crow. It spreads its fingerlike wings against a deep blue sky, a puff of cottony clouds below. It’s a bit of a departure from his previous work, but those familiar with Nadeau’s work will recognize the worked-in layers of color and the way he finds depth in simplicity.

Ceramic sculptor Squidge Liljeblad adds to her collection with a pair of wavy snakes, a horse in a dress, and a new crop of heart-shaped “centering bowls,” which are either beautifully glazed or left charcoal gray. Next to the bowls, Anna Velkoff’s sweet little ceramic boxes are just sitting there, waiting for someone to twist off their interlocking tops and peek inside.

The boxes’ earthy, mushroomy glazes are a sharp contrast to a nearby painting by Ken Morgan. The untitled work is covered in nearly an inch of paint in dizzying red, yellow and blue stripes, with slurpy drips of red running down the front. It makes you want to dip your finger into the surface, just to see if it’s dry yet.

In the next room, a new set of bright, abstract-looking birds’ eyes by Paul Plante are equally colorful, though flatter. The Winslow priest-painter is featured in this month’s Yankee magazine for his small, compelling oil pastels.

The current exhibition will be up until the first week of July. If the first installment is any indication, this “rotation” will surely be worth the wait.

The Clark House Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and by appointment on Monday and Tuesday. For information, call 942-9162.