Aluminum Lullaby, 2006

This table-sized piece is made up of 27 illuminated aluminum foil takeout containers, each of which is emblazoned with a phrase. The work imagines a conversation between a familiar-but-humble material – aluminum foil – and the viewer. The text covers a lot of territory, from "Tell me who made a living from mining me," to “Tell me about the s'mores we toasted." The lights in each container fade slowly on and off in sequence to further support the idea of the aluminum having a voice. The text, the title, and the voice in which the aluminum "speaks," suggest an intimate and even parental relationship between the viewer and the material.