With some well-placed wire, creative lighting and a provocative sense of visual puns, sculptor and photographer Terry Border has given life to everything from peanuts to pill bottles. His cleverly cartoonish scenes are often viral hits on the internet and they’ve brought his blog, Bent Objects, a global audience. Each photo has a little joke or morale to tell, and each photo is unique. “I don’t mean for everything to be funny,” says Border, who lives in Indianapolis. “We all have different perspectives and my perspective happens to be kind of strange and twisted.” |
Originally, Border says, his bent-object sculptures and photo scenes came about almost by accident. He studied photography in school and initially made his living as a commercial photographer. When that grew old he tried cartooning, then landed in sculpture. “I couldn’t have planned it if I tried,” says Border, who has published two books and is currently working on several new projects. |
Border had always liked Alexander Calder, the artist who is credited with inventing the mobile, which inspired his initial figures to be made of just bent wire. But he quickly started adding things like wine corks to give them more mass. Eventually, Border noticed that some inanimate objects conjured images of animals or lent themselves to representing humans. He would make a bug out of a sharpened pencil, with the tip representing the stinger, for example, or he would use pears to represent male and female bodies. |
Instead of storyboarding or sketching his scenes out, Border said the best ones just come to him. Take Mail Order Bride, for example. He used to work as a baker in a grocery store and one day while leaving work he passed by a display of real lemons sitting next to a box of plastic lemons. As he walked by he thought, if those lemons were alive, “how would they associate with each other?” The plastic lemons appeared almost doll-like next to the real ones, prompting him to think about humans and their dolls. The final shot gives an idea of his thought process. |
Initially, Border tried selling the sculptures, without much success. Then he started taking their photos and posting them on his blog. The photos not only broadened his audience, they also allowed him to create a more sophisticated narrative. Different kinds of lighting could set the mood, and the occasional well-placed dollhouse prop could fill in the story. The perspective of the photographs also became important, where Border has to “control your eye to tell the story.” |
Which Are the World's Biggest Statues?
These are 19 of the largest statues, most incredible, statues in the world.
How to Capture the Beauty of These Religious Buildings...
Exploring Iranian mosques, this photographer brings to life the ancient architectural style that is so beautiful about them.
How to Create Beauty With Less, Not More.
A gorgeous series of minimalist photography that brings beauty to the eyes and peace to the mind.
I Miss Photographers Like This One...
Ran Maltet was a French photographer and poet, who died a decade ago. He had what seemed to be a natural talent to seize upon these split seconds of comedy and philosophy, and capture them on camera.
The Incredible Latte Art of Kazuki Yamamoto!
We've seen latte art before, but never in 3 dimensions! These are the latte creations of Kazuku Yamamoto, and we really want to know where we can enjoy some of his coffee!
3 Years Around the World Have Made This Fantastic Video
3 years and 75 countries visited have given us this remarkable and beautiful video.
You May Need to Give These Pictures a Second Look...
Robert Gonsalves specilizes in making the kind of paintings that make you sigh, then amazed, then thoughtful.
INTERACTIVE: Enjoy 15 of the Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits
Whether you're a long-time fan or discovering his genius for the first time, this journey through Sinatra's greatest hits is sure to stir the soul and swing the heart!
Colorful Watercolor Paintings Depict Venice Beautifully
Check out these stunning water color paintings of Venice by Maja Wrońska.
12 of the Best Lesser-Known Tales from the Arabian Nights
In this article, we explore some of the obscure stories from Arabian Nights that have been overlooked in popular culture.
Let 'The Sugar Plum Fairy Dance' Excite Your Xmas Spirit!
What poise ballerina Nina Kaptsova displays in this gorgeous performance of Tchaikovsky's most Christmassy dance!
These Cakes are So Gorgeous and Creative...
We've seen amazing food art before, but these really take the cake...
7 Scenes that Show the Impact Paintings Have on Cinema
The world of art is full of references to other famous artworks. Here are 7 examples of this from the world of cinema.
Acrobats on Unicycles? Now I Really Have Seen It All...
These Chinese unicycle acrobats will completely blow you away! Check out their daring performance here.
These Stunning Paintings Are a Joy to Behold
Evgeny Lusphin is a contemporary artist who paints landscapes so rich and beautiful you almost feel like you can step inside them.
Is This a Troupe of Acrobats or Dancers? Sublime!
This Chinese Acrobat Troupe is not just doing stunts, but has wonderful dancers as well. Don't miss this colorful and energetic performance
Watch 20 of the Best Eurovision 2023 Performances!
Embark on this Eurovision journey and discover your new favorite songs and singers!
It's Amazing What an Artist Can Do With a Humble Bookend
Monde is an artist like no other - he turned his attention to bookends, drawing inspiration from the city of Tokyo. Take a look at his unique and amazing work.
This Art May Be Small, but It's Extremely Beautiful!
These breathtaking miniature pieces of art are the works of Japanese Artist Kiyomi. Check out her work, you're bound to be amazed!
You Haven’t Seen This Kind of Detail in Glass Art Before!
Glass is an unexpectedly flexible material - and artist Amber Cowan takes advantage of this fact to turn it into beautiful artwork...
This Famous Song Sounds Even Better in Acapella!
In this video the popular acapella group Pentatonix give an outstanding performance of John Lennon's famous song "Imagine".
Andre Rieu Stirs Our Emotions With his Tribute to Sinatra!
Join Andre Rieu and his orchestra in their tribute to the unforgettable Frank Sinatra, as they perform "My Way".
What May Seem Like Ordinary Paper Is Much More to This Man
Take a look at Ken's breathtaking work which features jellyfish, nautilus and flowers:
Unleash Your Inner Creativity with These Decoupage Ideas
Breathe new life into your old odds and ends! These 16 brilliant decoupage tutorials will get you in a creative mood in no time at all!
These Phenomenal Acrobats Have Terrific Strength
These amazingly strong acrobats are going to effortlessly entertain you.
A Beatles Salute You'll Never Forget...
If you like the Beatles, you're going to LOVE this video.
This Artist's Paintings Are So Realistic You'll Be Fooled
Take a look at the incredibly realistic paintings of Patrick Kramer. He creates his art from photos and paints whatever captures his interest, be it from still lives, portraits, city scenes or landscapes.
These Needle-Felted Cats Are Adorably Realistic
Japanese artist Mayumi Yamamoto makes incredibly lifelike cat portraits.
Andre Rieu Plays in Full New York Concert!
In this video we get a FULL concert of Andre Riéuplaying in New York City and celebrating its incredible history.
This Performer Glides Through the Air With Ease...
This performance by Oksana Pylypch and her aerial hoop is one for the ages.
A Romantic Rainy Day By Jeff Rowland's Lovely Paintings...
Jeff Rowland's paintings are captivating, filled with mystery and romance - take a look at his remarkable work.
I Can't Believe How Realistic These Woodland Paintings Are
Enjoy 20 of Ivan Shishkin's most beautiful paintings of woodland scenes. You won't believe that you're actually looking at a painting!
10 Jawdropping Artisan Cakes Inspired by Classic Art
When it comes to confectionery art, it just doesn’t get more luxurious and beautiful than the artisan cakes of Los Angeles based artist, Julie Simon.
Listen to Andrea Bocelli in an Epic Duet with a Cello
We encourage you to take a few minutes out of your busy day to enjoy this performance of Anre Bocelli
40 Works of Street Art That Will Make You Stop And Think
Many beautiful works of art have been found in the most unique places. These artists make the streets their canvas and pour their hearts out to the world.
These Dancers Are Beyond Anything I've Ever Seen.
Stunning Ballet Acrobatic Performance you have to see to believe.
MUSIC: Swoon Over These 20 Simon & Garfunkel Ballads
These luscious ballads from America's finest folk duo, Simon & Garfunkel, will leave you utterly spellbound.
Classical Music: Enjoy 50 of the Greatest Masterpieces!
This video collected together 50 of the most famous and beautiful classical music pieces in the world.
I Can Guarantee You've Never Seen a Ballet Like This One...
This world famous ballet dancer has taken it upon himself to create an almost perfect new ballet dance.
These Intricate Designs Turn Wood into Beautiful Art
This talented artist turns salvaged wood into beautiful art pieces.
Discover the Amazing History & Design of Fabergé Eggs
You've probably heard of Fabergé Eggs, but how much do you actually know about these unique historical jewels?
Magnificent Metal Sculptures of Animals Made From Cutlery
Matt Wilson is an artist from South Carolina. His art is created from knives, forks or cuillères, in which he bends the metal to his will, bringing various types of animals to life.
Enjoy Musical Heaven By an Extremely Talented Cellist!
The multi-talented Kevin Olusola uses only his mouth and cello to produce a most amazing rendition to Sam Smith's "Stay with me".
‘My Heart Will Go On’ by This Violinist Will Amaze You!
Seeing talented children is always inspiring, and 11-year-old Karolina Protsenko is a true prodigy. Watch her perform Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'.
Nobody Sings This Song Quite Like Frank Sinatra!
Listen to Frank Sinatra's charming performance of Cheek to Cheek and enjoy the presentation we made to go with it.