London | The artist’s “Magnificent Obsessions”

Above: Damien Hirst collection.
Magnificent Obsessions. The Artist as Collector
Installation images, Barbican Art Gallery 12 Feb – 25 May 2015
© Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images, Courtesy Murderme Collection

At the Barbican Centre in London, an exhibition invites the visitors to take a dive into collecting obsessions.
The title “Magnificent Obsessions. The Artist as Collector” in quite indicative: this is indeed the first exhibition in the UK presenting the – often surprising –  personal collections of some among the most celebrated artists from the World War Two to present day: Arman, Peter Blake, Hanne Darboven, Edmund de Waal, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Dr Lakra, Sol LeWitt, Martin Parr, Jim Shaw, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Andy Warhol, Pae White and Martin Wong/Danh Vo.

Above: Andy Warhol’s artworks / Andy Warhol’s cookie jars.
Magnificent Obsessions.The Artist as Collector
Installation images, Barbican Art Gallery,12 Feb – 25 May 2015
© Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

The collections spans from mass production objects, such as the cookie jars collected by Andy Warhol’s, to the rarest artifacts, like Arman’s African artworks and samurai armor; from image collections, such as Dr. Lakra’s record covers or Sol LeWitt’s Japanese prints, modernist photographs and music scores, to specimens appropriate for natural history cabinet, like Damien Hist’s taxidermy and medical models.

Above:Martin Parr’s postcards collection / Martin Parr’s Space dogs collection
Magnificent Obsessions.The Artist as Collector
Installation images, Barbican Art Gallery ,12 Feb – 25 May 2015
© Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images.

Above: Dr Lakra’s record covers collection
Magnificent Obsessions.The Artist as Collector
Installation images, Barbican Art Gallery ,12 Feb – 25 May 2015
© Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

Often an intimate source of inspiration for the artists themselves, some pieces have already been exhibited while others are personal items, never publicly exposed.
The exhibition, designed by Dyvik Kahlen Architects, is sorted into separated sections, where from 20 to 3,000 objects belonging to each personal collection are presented in separate spaces, reflecting each artist’s aesthetic approach, own preferences and live/work environment.

From top to bottom:
Hanne Darboven artwork / Sol Le Witt’s collection / Edmund de Waal’s shell collection.
Magnificent Obsessions.The Artist as Collector
Installation images, Barbican Art Gallery,12 Feb – 25 May 2015
© Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

Magnificent Obsessions. The Artist as Collector
temporary exhibition
organised by Barbican Art Gallery
curated by Lydia Yee.

Barbican Art Gallery
London, 0845 120 7550
www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery

Images courtesy of Barbican Art Gallery, London