Text: "Unbrella", 2006 Thomas Mueller (German, b. 1982) Fabric, wire. 3' by 8' (when opened). From the Sony BMG Collection. "Unbrella" is one of Mueller's most important works. Completed in early 2006, three years after the artist's first one-man exhibition, at age twenty-one, this piece is one of his largest object-based installations that makes use of items from daily life. It was first exhibited in London in February 2006 with the title "Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day." Mueller draws his inspiration from the "everyday". Nature, the corporate world, cities and interaction between people are some areas that he frequently explores with his work. The simplicity of this piece invites the viewer to question their understanding of umbrellas and to think about the ages-old conflict between man and nature. Whereas in many other works, rain is depicted as a resource that gives and makes other beings thrive, Mueller's work explores the frustration many of us feel when we are walking around in our Pradas during a massive downpour.