Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things [Hardcover]

Terry Border (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Trained as a photographer, Terry Border left the commercial world for story-telling. His complex vignettes are made of the simplest, everyday items: a jar of spices, a cigarette stub, a flower, a snack food. These sly photos range from whimsical scenes to sexy scenarios, the sad truths to the hilarious happenings in everyday life. In the tradition of bestselling humorous photography books like Chicks with Baggage, Play with Your Food, and Hello Cupcake!, this volume will surprise you with every viewing. A sunflower missing a petal becomes the tortured artist Van Gogh; an egg arrives to visit his mom only to discover roast chicken on the table; when confronted by a jar of peanut butter, peanuts hold a wake; and hot dogs leave behind their own brand of little presents. Marshmallows, wine corks, bread, soap, rocks, and tea bags—no common household item is safe from the twisted (wire) mind behind these uncommon creations!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Helen Gallagher BlogCritics, October 14, 2009
“Can you create the Statue of Liberty out of a burger and fries? Do you have the imagination to stage a boxing match between two bananas? There is a seriously talented mind at work in Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things. This art book / gift book / humor-photo collection will inspire and amuse the reader. But chances are the author's alma mater will not be amused, since this project is the result of a costly degree in Fine Arts Photography. But fine, fun art it is…”

Detroit Metro Times
“Compact and conceptually entertaining."

About the Author

Terry Border still resides in the town he was raised in, Indianapolis, Indiana. He shares a small house with his wife, daughter, and a very friendly cat. Please visit him at www.bentobjects.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762435623
• ISBN-13: 978-0762435623
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dudecraft.com - Bent Objects Review, October 19, 2009

By 

Paul Overton "dudecraft" (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things (Hardcover)

Lately, I've been immersing myself in business and personal development-type books and hadn't realized how badly I just needed something "fun" to read until I got Bent Objects in the mail. Back in March, I featured some of Terry Border's work on DudeCraft and became an instant fan of his clever scenes involving pocket combs, flowers, circus peanuts and cheese doodles. The book Bent Objects continues in the tradition of Terry's blog, featuring funny and sometimes dark scenes from the lives of the inanimate objects that surround us.

In less skillful hands, I imagine that a project like this could get tiresome fairly quickly, but Border's Far Side-type take on things keeps surprising the reader, page after page, and the way that he is able to create such vivid characters out of bits of wire and things from his fridge is nothing short of amazing. I continually found myself empathizing with eggs that were about to be beaten, hot dogs that were shunned by buns, and toilet paper rolls after a rough day at the office.

In addition to the characters Border creates, he also includes a nice introduction in the book that details his journey from childhood to a career in photography to the defining moment that led him to making tiny wire sculptures out of stuff in his house. He also provides commentary and sketches on a selection of pieces throughout the book that shed light on the genesis of some of his ideas. Finally, in the back of the book, there's a nifty "how-to" section that shows you how to make your own characters out of corks and wire.

If your looking for a great gift with which to kick off your Christmas shopping, Bent Objects would be a perfect fit for the creative and clever folks on your list.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, funny, even moving, November 23, 2009

By 

Eric Picard (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things (Hardcover)

I have two degrees in Photography, and I love the medium. This book, however, was brought home because someone thought it would appeal to the humor of a 9 year old girl. It since has become a favorite of the entire house.

The funny thing (and the pictures are really really funny) about that is that this appeals to me both for its humor, and for its photographic sensibilities. As funny and in many ways nonsensical as these pictures are, they are also very serious works of art. Much in the way that William Wegman's photographs of Weimaraners (gray dogs) dressed up in costumes, or the somewhat absurd self portraits of Cindy Sherman. There is in these pictures something remarkable. They're like gesture drawings, in that they capture emotion with such minimal cues. They are not mundane.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The fun is in the details, October 2, 2009

By 

bisticles (New Paltz, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things (Hardcover)

Terry Border has a unique gift for giving life to everyday objects. After going through the book to find the humor at surface level, there is still a wealth of goodness to be had. The text that accompanies many of the pictures adds character, and the amazing attention to detail help make this a book you'll want to share. You'll never look at a cheese doodle the same way again.