If Pixar films have taught us one thing about the world, it’s that everyday objects live extraordinary secret lives while we aren’t looking. That’s exactly what photographer-turned-artist Terry Border, who left commercial photography for the world of storytelling, explores with wit and whimsy in Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things — a collection of micro-sculptures using everyday objects and thin wire to create anthropomorphic, charmingly emotive beings and scenes.

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.” ~ Terry Border

Though the photos themselves are a delight, what makes the project most charming are Border’s clever captions. For a sneak peek, look no further than his excellent Gel Conference talk, which captures the humor and imagination with which Border approaches his work:

Playful and poetic, Bent Objects will make you smile and nod knowingly as the most mundane of objects bring to life all-too-human moments.