
Photographer Corinna Kern spent a year with a compulsive hoarder, creating a series of touching images that shed light on the condition.

George's Place tells the story of George Fowler, a 72-year-old man whom Kern met while documenting London's squatting scene.

The dapper septuagenarian was a squatter in the '70s but had been living in four-bedroom house for 33 years.

When Kern went to visit George, she realized he had a terrible hoarding problem.

His house was almost inaccessible from the piles of clutter gathered over decades, what George called 'an accumulated illness.'

Kern spent a year documenting George's life, eventually moving into his home in an attempt to 'understand the human nature that lies behind his unusual condition,' she says.

'After an experience of strong shortages during post-war times, his compulsive behavior becomes a logical response to a society in which mass-production and excess-consumption have become the norm.'

Scroll down for video

Dapper: Wearing his usual dress-code, George is smoking a cigarette in his bedroom. Apart from bathroom and toilet, this is the only accessible room in his four-bedroom house

Multi-purpose: George taking a cigarette break from repairing one of his bikes. Due to the limited space in his house, his bathtub is the most convenient location for repairing bikes

Oasis: George taking a bath in the bathroom of his cluttered house, where he also washes clothes and repairs bicycles

'Accumulated illness': George's compulsive hoarding behavior began after experiencing post-war shortages

George takes a rest on a sleeping bag in a narrow space free of clutter on his bathroom floor

Makeshift: A mattress in a doorframe became George's living space for six months since he hosted a guest long-term in his bedroom

Free goods: George's son Ari is checking for a rental van on his phone in order to relocate the items piled up in front of George‘s house. Their plan is to donate them to several squats around London

Downtime: George relaxes on his bed, a small, relatively junk-free area

Wider world: George shopping in a 99-pence shop. He often comes here to buy 'good value for cheap prices'

Image conscious: George is checking the label on the back of his tie. He paid 1,75£ for it in a charity shop

George and his son Ari are leaning on the balustrade that overlooks the garden where bikes, broken chairs, and other wooden parts are dumped and overgrown by plants

Tough decision: George's son Ari shows George items to decide on whether to keep them, trash them or donate them to the squatting community

Big job: George and Ari sit after a day cleaning his barely-accessible four-bedroom house

More clutter: George sits in his bedroom about a year after the above picture was taken; his bedroom is filled with more junk than ever

Daily bread: George is about to leave the house for dinner. Since his kitchen is inaccessible, he often goes out to eat in restaurants or cafés