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Horror Vacui: On Collecting Things

Beware...this one's heady.

In a recent comment, drmelf suggested that by collecting multiples of things I may be exhibiting a type of compulsion known as "horror vacui" or "cenophobia"--a fear of empty space. She points out that such compulsions rule various design tendencies and perhaps socio-cultural moments like Victorian opulence and kitchy curio-cabinet clutter. In contrast to mid-century minimalism, which has reigned supreme for the last little while. She asks whether it's possible to embrace both tendencies at once.

Translation: Can I be both a collector and a minimalist? Or, put another way, can I keep my vintage camera, bird cages, tree painting and diorama collections (a few of these are on display here) and still have a neat pad?

Answer: I don't know, but I'm going to try...