Trillium Study
By Piper Galipeau
This print came into existence from a string of moments, of observation and appreciation for the beautiful and native Red Trillium flower. Although the Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) is not marked as rare or endangered in the state of Maine like the Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is, Red Trillium could become at risk of being endangered because of its slow reproductive and developmental nature, deer overpopulation, and habitat disturbance. Red Trilliums are considered common here in the state, but they are not supposed to be picked because they need those flowers to reproduce and they only flower every 4-8 years. Red Trilliums are also spring ephemeral, which means they go through all of their non-dormant lifecycle stages during the spring season.
I had been working on this print unknowingly for a couple of years. It came into existence from a photo I took of a Red Trillium flower I found at a park a block or two from my house in my hometown, a few years ago, and then forgot about. I then took some notes about the ephemeral flower a year or two later. Eventually, this spring, I combined the photo and my written notes into one image and manually printed it using a photopolymer technique and printing press. The photopolymer print process here at UMaine entails applying a UV sensitive film to a copper printing plate and exposing the plate to UV light through a photopositive of the digital artwork. From there the plate is cured, ink is applied, excess ink is removed, and the image is printed through a printing press.