Martin Wong/Danh Vo collection. Image courtesy of ArteryNYC.com.

Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist As Collector, which opened at the Barbican Art Gallery in London earlier this month, is the first exhibition in the UK to present the personal collections of post-war and contemporary artists. Ranging from mass-produced memorabilia and popular collectibles to unique curiosities, rare artifacts, and natural history objects, each collection allows an unprecedented glimpse into the oftentimes eccentric predilections of some of today’s most collected artists.

Organized by Barbican curator Lydia Yee, Magnificent Obsessions features the personal collections of well-known artists such as Sol Lewitt, Damien Hirst, Peter Blake, Martin Parr, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Andy Warhol, and Martin Wong/Danh Vo, alongside at least one example of their work. The exhibition aims to use these collections as a means to provide insight into these artists’ inspirations, influences, motives, and fascinations. According to a press release from the Barbican, Jane Alison, Head of Visual Arts at the gallery, said, “What a joy to have brought together the treasured private collections of the fourteen artists in Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector. The thrill of collecting is something we can all relate to, and I am sure visitors will enjoy this deeply personal and endlessly fascinating show.”

Individual collections include Blake’s examples of British vernacular culture; Hirst’s collection of skulls, taxidermy, and medical models; Lewitt’s Japanese prints, modernist photographs, and music scores; Parr’s 20th century British postcards and Soviet space dog memorabilia; and thousands of bric-a-brac objects collected by the self-taught painter Martin Wong and subsequently acquired by the conceptual artist Danh Vo. Installed in separate spaces to reflect each artist’s singular aesthetic, the collections feature anywhere from twenty to over three-thousand items.

Warhol’s extensive cookie jar collection is also included in Magnificent Obsessions. The Pop artist began collecting in the 1950s, compulsively scouring antique stores, galleries, auction houses, and flea markets. Ranging from mass-produced toys to fine furniture, Warhol’s voluminous collection was featured in the 1977 exhibition Folk and Funk at New York City’s American Folk Art Museum. After Warhol passed away suddenly in 1987, Sotheby’s offered over 10,000 items from his vast collection. The ten-day sale went on to become one of the most important auctions of the decade.

Magnificent Obsessions will remain on view at the Barbican through May 25, 2015.