Turning the Tide: Creating Our Giant Andy Burnham Sand Drawing in Somerset
When the team at 38 Degrees and 89UP came to us with a vision to tackle the UK’s sewage crisis, we knew we needed a canvas big enough—and bold enough—to grab the nation’s attention.
Our mission? Head down to the coast at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset and race against the clock to draw a massive portrait of Prime Minister Andy Burnham directly into the beach, complete with an unmissable message: “Burnham-on-Sewage?! Time to turn the tide, Andy.”Here is what goes into making a stunt like this happen before the ocean washes it all away.Racing the Clock and the TidesWorking with nature means you never truly control the schedule. Our medium is entirely dependent on the coastline. Armed with our rakes, our team had a strict window between the receding tide and the incoming water to get everything right.Drawing a giant human face on a sloping, damp beach requires immense precision. You can’t just step back to check your perspective—you have to trust the geometry and move fast. A team of 3 created the 72 metre sand drawing. Why Sand Art Hits DifferentlyFor us at Sand In Your Eye, land art isn’t just about making something visually striking for social media; it’s about using temporary art to drive permanent change.
Zero Footprint: When the campaign is over and the press photographers have packed up their gear, the tide rolls back in and washes the canvas completely clean. No permanent damage, just a powerful message left behind in the news cycle.
Punchy Public Engagement: Beachgoers and holidaymakers stumbling across a massive portrait of the Prime Minister on a bank holiday weekend are bound to stop, look, and talk. Paired with drone footage, it instantly scales from a local beach event to a national talking point.The Message Behind the MediumThis wasn’t just about a clever name. The artwork was tied to a massive public outcry backed by over 144,000 people demanding urgent action on water quality and calling for water utilities to be brought back into public ownership.While our temporary portrait of Andy Burnham only lasted a few hours before the waves reclaimed the sand, the conversation it helped spark about cleaning up our rivers and seas is one that definitely needs to stick around.
