Utopian dreaming residency / Tommy Brentnall
The theme of artist Tommy Brentnall’s residency was Survival. Inspired by Charles Darwin, who began On the Origin of Species whilst staying in Sandown, Tommy explored how the town could adapt and evolve to meet the challenges of survival. His work departs from Darwin’s idea, “One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.” offering a more benevolent take on this idea, imagining a future where survival is not about competition but about harmony and community.
For six weeks, Tommy was immersed within the local community, running workshops and open days that invited the public to engage in utopian dreaming. Many of the ideas he gathered were shaped by the public’s anxieties about global warming, economic decay, and humanity’s custodianship of the natural world. One poignant suggestion was that people would be banished to abandoned ships as punishment for their failure to care for the land. Others suggested new ways of adapting, such as the development of community land trusts to take over derelict sites and provide affordable, communal dwellings. And in 2049, Sandown becomes the social enterprise capital of England.
Tommy’s initial fascination was with the cracks and flaws in the town’s landscape, from a derelict hotel to a broken window. He was particularly intrigued by how these flaws in the townscape had become new beginnings, either being reclaimed by nature or tended to by the community.
The spectacle of cargo ships floating in the Bay soon became a point of fascination. These ominous symbols of supply chain capitalism peacefully at anchor, waiting for their turn to come into port, where their cargo of global products would be unloaded. This moment of stillness, like a meditation before the frenzy of distribution, sparked the idea of what would happen if capitalism imploded and these massive ships no longer had a purpose. From this seed, Tommy created a series of pastel artworks of ships, which led to a central idea of the project: what if these vessels were transformed into new, thriving communities?
The idea of capitalism imploding came directly from the public, who, during drop-in sessions, populated a collaborative timeline with their fears and hopes. One person even suggested that animals should have representatives in council meetings to advocate for their rights. In further workshops, people created posters for future events, with one championing a “Devolution Revolution” and another a “Species Repopulating Farm.” A “Chime Table” offered an idea of how a future day could be shaped, where the Sandown bell rings to beckon the community to swim and share meals. A common theme was that adapting for the future is about custodianship, community, and caring for everyone and everything.
Blue Mind Harmony Hive
To represent these ideas, Tommy’s vision developed into a kindly hive of people, a society of benevolent workers living in harmony, where each individual fits together like a single organism. This concept is directly reflected in his artwork, which imagines these “hive people” taking over the ships to create new, caring, water-based communities.
The Sandown Tarot
As part of the residency, Tommy collaborated with writer Anmarie Bowler, founder of Brevity, the Isle of Wight’s literary handbill, to create the Sandown Tarot. This unique placemaking tool features 24 cards, each with a stunning illustration by Tommy on one side and a thought-provoking story by Anmarie on the reverse. Tommy’s artwork captures the essence of Sandown, from its pier and local flora to the community itself. Filled with enigmatic tales, the cards serve as a visionary call to reflect and shapeshift.
“Calling on flash fiction and illustration to predict the future of Sandown might seem unlikely, even awkward. But it developed into a natural writing process, as newspaper headlines, snippets of conversation, historical research and time spent in Sandown blended to tell both hopeful and cautionary tales about this less-than-ordinary place. Each story is an invitation to think about aspects of Sandown – a pier, a hotel, sparkling sea, children, the sun, rumour; things that make it a place of possibilities. A deck of cards alone won’t change a town’s fortunes but it could serve as a kind of hand-held charm that reminds us that prediction + action = our future,” Anmarie Bowler
A Whole Days Fun in One
Echoing the Sandown Pier’s iconic slogan, “a whole day’s fun in one,” Survival suggests that all the ingredients for success are already here: a vibrant community, abundant nature, and inspiring resilience. What’s truly needed is to empower the town to discover its own potential and adapt from there. Tracy Mikich – creative producer
Tommy Brentnall is an artist, designer and community arts facilitator based in London. Some of his current interests are technology (or the lack of it), science fiction, fantasy, radio, table top role playing games, silly characters, narrative illustration, drawing, publishing and print. He runs the DIY publishing collective Physical Interface, collaborating with other artists, illustrators and designers on various publishing projects.More of Tommy’s work can be seen here: Tommybrentnall.neocities.org Instagram / piggybankshoe
Anmarie Bowler is a freelance writer and founder of Brevity, a literary handbill she launched in 2019. The publication features short, compelling stories by and for Islanders. Anmarie’s work extends to playwriting, with her theatre piece AKA being adapted into an award-winning short film in 2018. She was also the head copywriter for The Wight Book , a large-format publication about the iisland and its people. For more info visit brevityisland.home.blog
Survival was part of Sandown Rocks, a 12-month programme of cultural activity at Boojum&Snark supported by Arts Council England.
