5 questions for terry border (bent objects)

Couldn’t we all use a good laugh everyday? For quite some time I’ve been relying on Indianapolis artist Terry Border’s quirky images that he creates for his website, Bent Objects, to get the job done (you might recall that I’m a big fan). Fortunately for all of us his talents were spotted by the right people, and just recently he released Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things, a terrific book filled with his original, laugh-out-loud funny photographs. Terry’s appealing images showcase loads of visceral humor to make you howl, but are tempered with just enough thought and emotion to make you look twice. Think about it and look at that photo above (which also happens to be the cover of the book) - how many of us have ever felt like that potato chip walking in on his mate? Yup. Now raise your hand if you want to know more about the brains behind this wonderfully creative operation…

Gigi: When I look at your collection of photographs, I’m immediately struck (and quite impressed) by your tremendously agile imagination. Do you find that your ideas flow easily, or do you have a more methodical approach when putting a new image together?

Terry: Basically, the idea just comes from out of the blue, or I think really hard about an object, then later when I don’t expect it, my subconscious makes a connection. Then I go “hey, that works!”

G: Speaking of your subconscious, what’s the most outlandish idea you’ve had for an image but never photographed?

T: I honestly can’t think of one. If it’s a good idea, it gets made.  I started a more adult blog just so I didn’t ever have to censor myself.

G: I know I howl out loud whenever your new images get published, and there is true freedom in the internet space, but I’m wondering now if you’ve ever shown your work in person and seen the impact it has up front and personal?

T: When I’ve given presentations to a group, it’s pretty cool to hear the laughs and get that kind of feedback. I enjoy that.  A lot of times though, I’m uncomfortable when an individual pages through my book for the first time with me there, and feels the pressure of “getting it” right away. Some of my images take a second or two to come together in your head, and having me around while that happens ruins the enjoyment for the person, and makes me feel strange too.

G: I get that. I’ve had that feeling personally delivering my photographs to buyers and then wondering if they’ll like them in person.

I’m curious to know if you have a favorite part of your process, e.g., the handcrafting of the doodads or the actual taking of the photographs?

T: I would have two favorite parts of the process, I suppose. After I get a real vision for what the image is going to be about, and towards the end, when I’m really happy with the feel of it. In between those two points is a bunch of figuring things out.

G: I’ll take the liberty of speaking for your fans here when I say you aren’t the only one who is happy when the image comes together at the end! You bring a lot of joy to people with the unique elements of humor and surprise in your work. Do you think you reveal any other aspects of your personality in your collection?

T: Oh, sure. I think whenever we create anything, we reveal stuff about ourselves. There are some images in the book that show some problems I have and deal with. The only one I’ll mention is the “At the Party” image, which is pretty autobiographical.

G: Hmmm. I think we’ve all been there. Actually some of us might want to approach the one cheeto, er, person, that doesn’t seem to be like everyone else. Good things can happen.

I am cuckoo for cocoa puffs about your book and am secretly (now openly) hoping volume 2 is in the works. Thanks so much for treating all of us to a lighthearted, whimsical way of looking at the world, and sharing with us how you do it. You’ve got serious skills!

T: My pleasure, Gigi. Thanks for talking about Bent Objects.

Pop over and say hi to Terry on his website, or stop by his Etsy shop. Purchase the book online at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Amazon UK. It’s US $17.95, and published by Running Press.

Need I mention that it would make a most excellent gift for someone with a great sense of humor?

Yes. Yes, I think I should.

Thank you Terry!

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christine kaiser sculpture

i am liking these quirky sculptures from pennsylvania artist christine kaiser. each piece is handmade with combinations of wood, metal, wire and paint. christine’s anxiety series is meant to be a visual place to focus your stress, because she believes that anxiety held in the hand or put on a shelf creates less of it in the heart. her wake up and sleep pieces tow the mysterious line of dreams and reality, and were created to be a contemporary folk tale.

this collection is priced from $40 to $110 and is available at uncommon goods. see more great work on christine’s website.

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reina mia brill knitted wire and ceramic sculpture: let’s chat!

when my cool friend burt came back from the acc show in baltimore, he told me that he really enjoyed the ceramic sculpture collection of new york artist (and recent donor to locks of love) reina mia brill. of course when i looked at it i went a little nuts. i love the clever combination of color and form, all the intricate detailing and facial expressions and most importantly the freedom these pieces give to my imagination when i look at all of them. let’s have a chat with reina mia and find out a little more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your art?
a: i live and work in a remote section of the bronx in new york city called city island. i like to call it the mythical island in the bronx because in all the 10 years i lived in manhattan i never heard of this place. my boyfriend dan grew up here and we are living in the actual house where he grew up. city island is a very unique place… it is an old fishing village trapped in time. my studio is in the basement with two windows at ground level where i say hello to all stray cats, birds and even snails that come and visit me.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i have an mfa from san diego state university in jewelry and metalsmithing which was where i got started knitting wire. i made hand-knitted wire jewelry for five years out of graduate school. i never was really happy making jewelry, it just seemed practical at the time. so in 2001 when i received a $7,000 fellowship from the new york foundation for the arts i decided to finally ditch making jewelry and do what i always wanted to — make sculpture. i also hold an undergraduate degree from fit (fashion institute of technology) in accessory design which is why my creatures are always very well accessorized.

q: so, why wire and clay? and how did you get to that place of combining the two (along with several other materials)? have you always worked in multiple mediums?
a: up until last year i only worked in knitted wire over a stuffed fabric covered armature. all the hand sewing was killing me. i wanted to be able to make work quickly. working in clay is not quick but it is quicker than sewing by hand. now i am able to build the figures faster and more sculpturally. after the pieces have been glazed i will embellish all the clothing and sometimes the bodies as well in knitted wire.

q: these pieces are exquisitely detailed and must be very labor intensive. (without giving away any secrets of course!) can you tell us a little about the techniques you use?
a: i first start with a drawing usually found in one of my sketchbooks. the figure is then hand-built in a low fire clay and glazed with underglazes. i use two very old-fashioned knitting machines to knit the wire. one is a sock-knitting machine from 1923, the other is a big double bed passap machine from 1960. i can create beautiful dimensional patterns off of the passap machine which i usually use for the clothing. the sock-knitting machine creates a sinuous knitted tube that i like to use as skin covering. i knit with very thin gauge coated copper wire that has been coated with a polynylon coating for color. once the figure has been fired i determine which areas are to be covered in wire. sometimes it is just the clothing and eyes and other times it is the entire creature. the knitted wire is stitched to the clay body by hand and then tacked with an epoxy resin.

q: i see a common thread of expressive human emotions as well as physical animal traits in these characters. did it come naturally to blend the two?
a: i have been drawing since i was a kid. my dad and i used to play these creature drawing games together. we would start with a blank piece of paper and then one of us would draw the first creature. the next person had to draw a creature interacting with the one on the page. we would keep drawing until the page was filled up trying to make the most outlandish creatures.

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: i offer a wide range of prices. on the low end i do creature illustrations framed in knitted wire as well as wearable creature brooches. these works sell for $95 to $250. my standing and wall sculptures start at $275 and increase in price depending on the size and the labor involved. two figures i made for an exhibition in poland last year stood just under 5 feet. they each sold for $10,000 but i spent 6 months creating them.

q: what is your inspiration for these works? do you have a message you want to send through these pieces?
a: i do lots of sketches. i will study people, usually children on the street for a variety of poses. children’s faces are the most fun to watch for their devious little expressions. the animal/human imagery has just come naturally. when i study human faces, so many are very similar to animal faces. animals, however, offer a wider array of eyes, ears, feet and mouths to come up with my own species of creature. my work does not have a message. i love that it makes many people laugh and smile and remember their childhood. other people are scared by my work and that’s interesting too. the work is open to individual interpretation.

q: where can we go to see your collection in person? are you exhibiting in any current or upcoming shows?
a: i am currently in three exhibitions around the country. the first is called contemporary repetition at the long beach island arts foundation in new jersey. it’s on view now through june 16th. the second is called contemporary crafts at the jrb gallery in oklahoma city. the show just closed but the work might still be there for a little while. the third is a traveling exhibition called fiberart international 2007. this show opened last year in pittsburgh and will be traveling through 2009. currently the show is in charleston, west virginia through june 22nd at the clay center. this show is accompanied by a beautiful catalog as well. i also show work regularly in new york at the eclectic collector in katonah and mano a mano in bronxville. i will be selling my work myself at the following craft shows: the niada conference in las vegas at the show and sale on july 27th; the doll and teddy bear expo in washington, dc august 9th and 10th; and back again in dc in november for the washington craft show. in 2009 i will be at acc baltimore in february and most likely craft boston at the end of march.

thank you reina mia (and thanks to burt for the great tip)!

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susan graham sculpture: miniview

i thoroughly enjoy the thoughtful construction and loose style of these metal animal sculptures from new york artist susan graham. her handmade menagerie is created from the idea of a three dimensional drawing, with a single continuous strand of steel or copper wire used for as long as possible for stability. special attention is addressed toward the character, gestures and expression of each animal, which makes it difficult to choose a favorite! ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked susan three quick questions…

q: how did you get into making these sculptures?
a: i made a wire animal a long time ago as an art assignment. a teacher brought in a live rooster in a cage (this was in ohio, where i’m from) and asked us to use wire as a medium and capture the character of the rooster.

q: do you have an art background?
a: i do have an art background. i had started school in chemistry at ohio state university and then switched to art-sculpture and photography - because that’s what i had always wanted to do. i moved to new york city and started a degree at the school of visual arts, but did not finish. i was afraid of getting too much in debt and not being able to afford an art studio here. i have a whole other art career besides the wire animals - i show at a gallery in chelsea called schroeder romero.

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i am not sure what prompts my desire to create, but it is constant - a basic need. i do my art, i sew clothes sometimes, i make the wire pieces, i like to make cakes. it just seems to be built in.

susan will be exhibiting in future tense: reshaping the landscape at the neuberger museum from may 11th - july 20th, 2008. be sure to see her etsy shop for her wonderful collection (or to commission your favorite animal), and go here to see some of her photographs from a recent exhibition she had at the philip morris branch of the whitney.

thank you susan!

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bent wire mini sculpture by terry border

(ed. note: welcome first-time readers! if you enjoy this article about terry, please click on the other categories to the left to enjoy even more posts about other talented artists and designers. better yet, feel free to be impulsive and click on subscribe to the right, and i will bring the good stuff to you instead! thank you for visiting!)

i need to show you these very funny little sculpture vignettes from indiana artist terry border. he crafts each piece from food, found objects and wire. i can’t decide if the objects themselves are funnier than the photos, or vice versa.

terry was a commercial photographer before his hobby of making mobiles and other whimsical things out of wire took hold. i’m so glad he’s blended his two expressive art forms.

what a riot!

i think i like “relish life… and death” the most.

check out his blog, see his larger pieces here, and while you’re at it, stop by his etsy shop too!

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