Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I am a great fan of Peter Collingwood. His book The Maker’s Hand (aka Textile and Weaving Structures) is one of my favourite reference books for the way it analyses techniques from around the world, and I admire his engineering ability that can turn weaving from a 2D plane into a 3D structure.
Collingwood initially trained in medicine, specialising in surgery (so he was used to working with his hands). When working with the Red Cross in Jordan in the late 1940s he began collecting Bedouin textiles. To understand how they were made he constructed his own loom and taught himself to weave. When he returned to the UK he took up weaving professionally and trained with Ethel Mairet in Ditchling, Barbara Sawyer in London, and Alistair Morton at Edinburgh Weavers.
The exhibition of his macrogauze wall hangings at Margaret Howell showcases his combination of curiosity, invention, and precision. I have done a bit of experimenting with crossed warps myself, but Collingwood takes it to another level, with warps crossing, separating, twisting, and merging. He also added fine steel rods to create multiple layers, creating new levels of complexity.
Four of the pieces in the show have been loaned by the Crafts Council, and on the evening I visited there was a brief talk about how the show came together. One of the pieces (catalogued as T53) looked extremely “baggy” when it was taken out of storage and hung up. After more research by the curator, looking at photographic records and archives, it turned out that the steel support rods were missing. Because these had to be of very precise lengths, they commissioned a jeweller to replace the rods, and now T53 can once more be seen as its maker intended.
It was particularly interesting for me to see the cabinet of Collingwood’s notes and sketches, mostly scribbled in biro on squared paper. Always fascinating to see how another maker’s mind works!
“In weaving you are being two different people. First you are working on paper using what pleases your eye, what aesthetic sense you’ve got and the second stage is technical engineering. I believe when you’re designing something and there are two possibilities, the only thing you can rely on is your eyes. And a way you can educate your eye is to live in an environment and with things you think are beautiful – good proportions, a good mix of colours.”
Peter Collingwood
Certainly the Margaret Howell shop is a beautiful environment for such a show, but I managed not to be tempted by any of the lovely clothes on offer!
Peter Collingwood: Macrogauze Wall Hangings runs at Margaret Howell until 2 November 2025.
The last maths test I did at school saw me notch up an embarrassing 16%. I’ve had psychological block on anything Mathematica since then! But I can appreciate the skill and precision that goes into these pieces ♥️