Creative director/editor/stylist Fritz Karch‘s official bio begins:“he became an active collector at age eleven and has always been an ardent believer in the benefits and pleasures of hunting and gathering.”

Many years ago, Karch threw a dinner party in his tiny studio apartment to which I was lucky enough to be invited. A beautiful table was set by the huge window. To get to it, guests had to walk through a path of AMAZING THINGS: chairs stacked with interesting bowls, tin ware, boxes, books, rocks, primitive paintings…all of them wondrous. Since that evening, Fritz, who helped create the Collecting Department at Martha Stewart Living Magazine, has continued to open my eyes to the endless possibilities, joy and meaning of collecting.

Recently,Fritz collaborated with Rebecca Robertson on Collected: Living with the Things You Love, a tour of fantastic, often eccentric collections around the world, and an entry IN.

Collected Cover*

The book will make you look differently at the most ordinary objects. Who knew that used teabags could be so compelling?

Collected used teabags

…or “Found Disks Collected in NYC”, a display at one of Collected’s launch parties…

Sally Schneider
Sally Schneider

…or that feathers or hangers could make such lovely displays?

Bill Batton
Bill Batton

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Dig the tin foil sphere in this collection of “Mystery Items”, featured at Collected’s book launch:

Sally Schneider
Sally Schneider

The book is organized into 15 collecting personalities: Modest-ist, Exceptionalist, Minimalist, Maximalist, Miniaturist, Colorist, Neutralist, Machinist, Zoologist, Containerist, Artificialist, Naturalist, Seasonalist, Pragmatist and Fantasist. When asked in an interview with SFGATE “Which one are you?“, Karch responded:

What personality am I? Actually, truth be told, all 15 except for the Minimalist.

 

colorandchaos.net
colorandchaos.net

He had some sage advice for a Minimalist who lives with a Maximalist, and vice versa, that addresses the worries of “clutter-o-phobes”:

Negotiate and compromise. Give each type a personal space: a closet or entire room designated for the Maximalist. All communal spaces should be calm and clear.

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4 replies on “Collected’s Fritz Karch: the Pleasures of ‘Hunting and Gathering’

  1. Love you Fritz ❤️
    XX Ken

  2. Have cool idea for the Martha Stewart Living magazines “Collecting” page.
    A findable, aforadable and useable collectable that I have not seen featured anywhere.
    How would I submitt? Thx for any kind consideration you could give me in this matter.
    Would like to send pictures.
    Sincerely, Colette Mitchell

  3. Hi, You would need to contact Martha Stewart Living Magazine directly. You can find out who to contact by looking at the masthead page of the magazine.

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