Jason Collingwood

Weaver

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When a loom makes a man

Jason’s first career was as the lead guitarist in a rock band
He makes rugs for clients including the fashion house Loewe
He is still using the same workshop his father set up in 1964

When Jason Collingwood left school and refused to go to university, he was given the ultimatum of helping his father, Peter Collingwood, a preeminent British weaver, in his rug-weaving workshop in order to ‘pay’ rent, “I was a typically grumpy teenager when I started helping in his workshop,” he says, “but at 24 I had more awareness of his standing and decided to take advantage of his knowledge and experience. I proved to be technically adept and he had the confidence to send out rugs I had woven in his name.” Jason does not describe himself as an artist, but as an artisan, “I would also be happy to be called a skilled machine (loom) operative! People think my day is spent in some creative cloud, but the truth is there are only so many steps required to weave a rug. The secret is in recognising that if it looks handmade, it is not well made.”

Interview

Are you master of a specific technique?
Yes, shaft switching. This frees the weaver up in terms of design, essentially allowing the weaver to re-thread the loom whilst weaving. I also specialise in very large rugs that have been stitched together.
Where do you find inspiration?
Doodling. I sit with a blank piece of paper and an equally blank mind and just doodle away. I call it perspiration over inspiration. Sometimes I think there is nothing new I can do, having woven thousands of rugs over more than three decades, but of course that is ridiculous. There is always something new to do.
Do you train apprentices?
No, but I have taught extensively around the world, including about three months each year in the US. In 2018, I was the keynote speaker at the world’s biggest gathering of weavers, Convergence in Reno. I have taught my techniques to thousands of people over the years.
What do you love most about your job?
Self-governance, solitude, the physical tiredness after a long day. There is no automation involved in what I do – just my hands and feet operating a loom over many hours, repeating simple tasks time and time again.

Jason Collingwood is master artisan: Iel began his career in 1986 and Iel began to teach in 1990