What do you think?
Rate this book
Bent Objects
Bent Objects by Border, Terry (2009) Hardcover
Trained as a photographer, Terry Border left the commercial world for story-telling. His complex vignettes are made of the simplest, everyday 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 bagsno common household item is safe from the twisted (wire) mind behind these uncommon creations!
Hardcover
First published October 5, 2009
2 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 3, 2020
once upon a time, i did not know how to fully embrace the power of the internet. i did not know how to do things that you kids take for granted. the result was book reviews like these:
okay, i just spent the last hour going through this guy's website (www.bentobjects.blogspot.com) instead of reading a textbook chapter entitled: "creating a document" (can you blame me??)and he might be my new favorite human ever! i love this twisted wire/twisted humor combination. there is one in particular that cracks me up (not featured in the book) that i told greg to post for me later. (maybe if i read my computer textbook i could learn to do it myself, but its raining, and there is tea, and its just nice to relax a little for once) but i'm so glad i found this book. i just keep going back to it and looking over all the funny/sad little characters he has created from food and toys and office supplies. and from his website i learned he has a store on etsy.com which i will save for my next batch of school-procrastination. one of my favorites, of course, is "gulliver's travels", where tiny little books have trussed and conquered a kindle. also, "belated", which is just heartbreaking. see for yourself. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!
but now that i know how to post pictures, and since this book was on my mind when i was reviewing My Milk Toof: The Adventures of ickle and Lardee the other day, i decided to fix this terrible review.
lo!
now you can see what i mean when i call "belated" heartbreaking:
and this is gulliver:
lactose intolerant:
i love him
in the process, i learned that he has another book! and as soon as i get my hands on it, i will review it and put even more pictures on the internet! god, i love goodreads!i also spent another hour looking through his blog instead of doing good and responsible things! thanks, internet!
and i also forgot that when he travels, he leaves these little guys behind in hotels or on the street, for people to find. i gotta find me one of these. eyes peeled, friends!
come to my blog!
okay, i just spent the last hour going through this guy's website (www.bentobjects.blogspot.com) instead of reading a textbook chapter entitled: "creating a document" (can you blame me??)and he might be my new favorite human ever! i love this twisted wire/twisted humor combination. there is one in particular that cracks me up (not featured in the book) that i told greg to post for me later. (maybe if i read my computer textbook i could learn to do it myself, but its raining, and there is tea, and its just nice to relax a little for once) but i'm so glad i found this book. i just keep going back to it and looking over all the funny/sad little characters he has created from food and toys and office supplies. and from his website i learned he has a store on etsy.com which i will save for my next batch of school-procrastination. one of my favorites, of course, is "gulliver's travels", where tiny little books have trussed and conquered a kindle. also, "belated", which is just heartbreaking. see for yourself. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!
but now that i know how to post pictures, and since this book was on my mind when i was reviewing My Milk Toof: The Adventures of ickle and Lardee the other day, i decided to fix this terrible review.
lo!
now you can see what i mean when i call "belated" heartbreaking:
and this is gulliver:
lactose intolerant:
i love him
in the process, i learned that he has another book! and as soon as i get my hands on it, i will review it and put even more pictures on the internet! god, i love goodreads!i also spent another hour looking through his blog instead of doing good and responsible things! thanks, internet!
and i also forgot that when he travels, he leaves these little guys behind in hotels or on the street, for people to find. i gotta find me one of these. eyes peeled, friends!
come to my blog!
January 1, 2014
Read this with my 4-year-old son.
If you want a window into the mind of a young child, someone who is unfettered by social expectations, this is a great book to leaf through. We had a blast.
March 4, 2023
An absolute joy to read. Great fun.
January 4, 2012
There are few books more clever than this. Filled with pictures of mostly food items arranged in usually unfortunate human situations. Flipping through each page I went through three reactions/ emotions: laughing out loud, dropping my jaw, amazed at the originality, and anger at the fact I hadn't thought of that. Absolute brilliance. If you want an eye-catching coffee table book (albeit for a very small coffee table), this is a superb choice.
June 9, 2021
Brilliantly creative!
October 6, 2009
This book becomes much more than your average website spawned book, simply because Border includes a lot of his own personal journey in it. I wasn't expecting to like this book so much, until I got to the photograph of "Bad Day at Work" (pg. 27) and I legitimately laughed out loud. This is bound to be my cute coffee table book.
May 18, 2021
An entertaining blend of sculpture, photography and humor. Terry Border shares a bit about how he started creating art from everyday things in the introduction. I enjoyed the imaginative and playful way he shows the point of view of everything from eggs to ice cubes to Cheetos.
I liked this book so much, I ordered his other book as soon as I finished. My 16-year-old nephew liked it too. There are a few pages with subtle sexual themes, but they'd probably go over the heads of younger children.
I liked this book so much, I ordered his other book as soon as I finished. My 16-year-old nephew liked it too. There are a few pages with subtle sexual themes, but they'd probably go over the heads of younger children.
April 17, 2018
It's like Gary Larsen, but with food. Hysterical.
September 29, 2018
Fun photos of everday objects cleverly re-imagined with a bit of wire.
September 16, 2019
Love this book! So clever!
March 11, 2021
Good for some laughs - Terry Border takes everyday objects, adds wire and creates funny scenes
April 30, 2023
Very creative!
June 1, 2023
Clever unique art.
February 18, 2025
Great book on 3D sculpture. Both fun and thoughtful.
-Patron H.L.
-Patron H.L.
February 19, 2015
Artist Terry Border is one of those people who has a secret gift. He can take boring, everyday objects and make them come alive! In fact, his art can be appreciated for the clever thought behind it.
What I love most about his work, though, is that it can be enjoyed by everyone. We can all get a good chuckle out of his hilarious, bent objects.
As to where he gets his ideas, "Basically, I get ideas for photographs when everyday objects remind me of something else. Then I try to think about how I can show others the connection I made. The next step - I try really hard to take it one step further - add humor, emotion of some kind, maybe an 'aha' moment. For example, with Mail Order Bride, I came up with the characters, but the little chair against the door really makes that shot for most people. "Then again, sometimes an idea just pops into my head. That makes me happy."
Who would not love this? Especially me. Photography? Food? Logology (Play on words)? Come on!!!!!....
What I love most about his work, though, is that it can be enjoyed by everyone. We can all get a good chuckle out of his hilarious, bent objects.
As to where he gets his ideas, "Basically, I get ideas for photographs when everyday objects remind me of something else. Then I try to think about how I can show others the connection I made. The next step - I try really hard to take it one step further - add humor, emotion of some kind, maybe an 'aha' moment. For example, with Mail Order Bride, I came up with the characters, but the little chair against the door really makes that shot for most people. "Then again, sometimes an idea just pops into my head. That makes me happy."
Who would not love this? Especially me. Photography? Food? Logology (Play on words)? Come on!!!!!....
September 11, 2014
A relaxed look into the work of Terry Border. His sense of humor is brilliantly shown through the use of mainly fruit in this books which i for one definitely got some laughs out of. His tips as an art student seemed honest and supportive of his work. All in all brilliant and i can't wait for the next book to come in the post.
December 3, 2014
Using everyday objects, coupled with bent wire, Border creates a whole inner anthropomorphic life for inanimate objects - a kiwi shaves its fuzzy back, a banana lays battered and bruised in the boxing ring, a group of peanuts attend a funeral for a jar of peanut butter. Weird, hilarious and twisted.
April 14, 2011
This man is a genius. Almost always funny, frequently disturbing, sometimes oddly touching. I'm thinking of buying this as a coffee table litmus test to determine who should be ejected from gatherings.
December 24, 2009
Not only one of the most visually clever book, but smart too. One of those books that makes you both laugh and think.
March 14, 2010
Cute, sometimes clever and sometimes too cliche but the overall concept is good. My 7 yr old nephew now likes to march marshmellows off the plank
November 12, 2010
I love this book! It reminds me of "bitter with baggage seeks same".
January 4, 2011
A visually creative and humorous collection of photographs. Really worth a look.
Read
June 22, 2011Ha!
April 22, 2011
So creative and adorable!
May 19, 2011
Funny!
April 1, 2012
This book is an absolute delight, Terry Border's whimsical imagination and creativity and sense of humor make you look in a new way at the every day objects and especially food. Highly recommended.
January 22, 2015
I loved this book! It provided an entertaining look at everyday objects. This is a book that I'm sure I will constantly pick up and page through, just to get a daily laugh.
November 2, 2010
There's a smile on every page.
December 19, 2010
Incredibly witty and well executed book of the blog. Very few duds in this collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews