One is used to seeing hubcaps lying forlornly on the side of the road, leaning against a telephone pole in the hopes of being recovered by their rightful owner. It’s comforting to know that these orphaned hub caps are able to live a second life as a beautiful piece of art. When treated properly, hubcaps can be sculpted into intricate forms that glisten with more than their former glory. Here are some of the coolest hubcap sculptures around:

(Images via alternativeconsumer, kilala, theawesomer, coolmaterial)

These are some wicked looking fish! With their shiny exterior, hubcaps are able to reflect the sun’s rays in a great facsimile of fish scales. With sharp edges and curved fins, these monsters of the sea are not the kind you want to hunt for dinner.

(Images via everydaytrash, whatisnewwhatiscool, blisstree)

One of the best ways I’ve seen to bring something mundane like a hubcap into something epic, is to create a mythological creature out of dozens of them. Dagger-like teeth and sharp scales cover these dragon sculptures and make them appear incredibly intricate and menacing.

(Images via abstract-art-blog, jafagirls, eyemakeart, davidlozeau)

Some artists choose to maintain the hubcaps shape and simply flex their artistic muscles by painting vivid designs. It’s not your typical artistic medium, but with the right look it’s able to catch even the least fanatic car fan’s eye.

(Images via randomizingmuses, oddee, randomizingmuses, lostateminor)

Sculptures of animals are common, but the versatility of hubcaps as a medium are displayed best when you’re staring down a full sized mettalic boar. The hubcap is able to catch the fierce essence of these creatures, or, when necessary, the cuteness of a tamer four-legged friend.