Local artist displays work at UIndy
French fries, playing cards and baked chicken may not seem like works of art, but local artist Terry Border sees things differently.
Border takes mundane, overlooked household items and turns them into his own, original works of art.
Currently, a display of Border’s whimsical creations called “Bent Objects,” is in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center gallery.
The exhibit includes 16 printed photographs depicting Border’s work and four sculptures made of objects ranging from wire, muffins, eggs and peanuts.
“This is only a tiny piece of my work,” Border said. “I chose a piece of my collection that I thought represents what I do.”
Border noted that his work tells the narrative story of everyday objects. He also explained that artists try to connect with their audience, and he hopes that his work accomplishes that.
His favorite piece on display at the University of Indianapolis is entitled “Belated.”
Border said it depicts a personified Mother’s Day card that arrives too late to find that the “mother” it was intended for is nothing more than a cooked chicken.
“I like this piece because it makes you sad and want to laugh at the same time,” Border said.
Border has been creating this type of artwork since 2006 and has compiled a book of his work entitled “Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things.”
The book is available at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.
“I enjoyed looking at the pieces and seeing how the creative titles enhanced the meanings of the pieces,” said visual communication design major junior Kristi Wolfram.
Several pieces from Local Artist Terry Border’s “Bent Objects” collection are on display in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center gallery through Feb. 11. Photo by Kenny Norman.
As an artist, Border hopes that his work can be joyful and reach out to anyone. He hopes that students who are pursuing careers in art remember to have fun and not give up.
“Keep doing what you want to do,” Border said. “You may not start out in your dream job, but you should always remember to continue doing what makes you happy.”
Border himself did not find major artistic success until his 40s.
“I finally found something that connected with people, and I would call that success,” Border said.
“Bent Objects” will be on display at UIndy until Feb. 11. Admission to the exhibit is free.
“Art doesn’t always have to convey extremely deep feelings, but it can also serve to simply entertain the viewers,” Wolfram said. “I thoroughly enjoyed being able to walk around the gallery smiling and laughing at what I saw.”
