Perennial is inspired by The Secret Garden, a book of floral radiographs by Prof. Albert G. Richards who taught radiography at the School of Dentistry for over forty years.

Recognizing their shared interest in the intersection of art and science, Helmick extends Richards’ revelatory image of a columbine flower into three dimensions, preserving its qualities of transparency and graceful morphology.

Prof. Richards revealed the “inner light” of floral structure via invisible radiation.
Perennial returns to the visible realm, harnessing the abundant sunlight in the atrium to offer a similarly revelatory expression of nature.

While most of the suspended elements are geometric bi-cones of different sizes, strategically placed gold-leafed dental instruments can be found throughout the composition.

Perennial is dedicated to the artist’s wife, Dr. Nan Niland, Class of 1979.

Dimensions: 17’ high | 20’ wide | 21’ deep
Fabrication: Bob’s Welding, Central Falls, RI
CAD modelling: Mowry Studio, Denver, CO
Project Management: Karen Koestner
Gold leafing: Hillary Irvine / Revival
Installation: Karen Koestner, Matt Koestner, Hillary Irvine, Brandon Plumert, Erica Byerley, Nan Niland
Engineering: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Commissioned by The University of Michigan School of Dentistry