TONY Boat Tote (Quentin)

Handcrafted 24oz canvas bag hand painted by Squirrel, 2022

The boat tote is synonymous with the American middle class. Often associated with pleasure boat trips, customised with a monogram or the name of a yacht. I thought it paradoxical to put the bag within the fishing context of Newlyn. The TONY boat totes were handcrafted by a local sailmaker from 24oz canvas, imported from the U.S. They were individually hand painted by local signwriter and boat painter Squirrel, who painted Tony's first fish van back in the early 80s. Squirrel has painted four bags, each with a distinct typographic style and colour variation, referencing the tradition of hand painted boat names in Newlyn. The bags serve as both highly functional accessories and sculptural artefacts.