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Collecting

‘Through collecting, the passionate pursuit of possession finds fulfillment, and the everyday prose of objects is transformed into poetry, into a triumphant unconscious discourse.’

Jean Baudrillard, The System of Objects. 1968

 

The initial taxidermy project evolved into a project about collectors and their motivations behind collecting. Collecting tries to make sense of material culture. It gives a system to a specific category of objects and allows for a personal form of classification.
The following categories have been established to be essential components to collections and collecting.

 

Acquisition

The amateur begins to collect. The act of collecting leads to the gain of possession
Accumulation

A growing collection. With gained experience comes access to more refined platforms and the ability to distinguish.
Compilation

A refined, focused collection. When objects are acquired and/or discarded in order to follow a defined goal. The compilation imposes a value system, which adheres to the collector's goals. The amateur has evolved and is an accomplished collector.
Validation

The novice seeks validation by peers. With growing experience the collector no longer seeks validation but informs his peers and in return becomes the expert.
Condition

With growing experience, the condition of the object becomes of greater importance to the collector.
Value

The expert collector seeks objects of great value. The definition of value varies from collector to collector.
Organisation

Collectibles are organised in order to gain an overview.
Storage

The growing collection must be stored adequately to maintain its validity, condition and value.
Display

The collector displays his/her collection in order to validate its existence. It combines the organisation, storage and validation of the collection. Along with the material collection, the achievement of collecting is displayed.

 

Fact Box

Collecting
Categories
Date
June 27, 2013