'Fear of clutter'

From “Ataxophilia,’’ Boston-based Zoe Friend’s show at Boston Sculptors Gallery Nov. 9-Dec. 11.

The gallery explains:

“A play on the term ataxophobia, a clinical condition described as ‘a fear of clutter or messy surroundings,’ the exhibition features assemblage sculptural works exploring the fetishization of objects through the artist’s baroque-inspired maximal aesthetic.’’

Western society defines us by our consumption, our belongings and now, very much by our waste. Focusing on the consumer sublime as well as examining the intersection of our relationship with nature and societal detritus, Friend presents highly ornate and sumptuous motifs juxtaposed with the mundane disposable materials from which they are made. Assembled from items such as plastic utensils, cheap costume jewelry, and fake fauna, the artist strips these elements of all familiar color cues, allowing the viewer to experience form before discerning the materials.

Friend has let this fear of things and her ever-evolving relationship with compulsion guide what she calls “an encapsulation of my own consumer anxieties,” laid bare in the collection of over-embellished objects which tell the story of our own excesses.