Mike O’Shea’s Highbrow operation comes correct with the online appearance of his second DVD offering ‘The Arty Farty Promo’, featuring Jason Lewer, Joxa, Danny Jack, Jak Pietryga, Danijel Stankovic, Owen Hopkins, Tom Carr, a full end part from Phil Parker and plenty more humans as they shred the West Country and beyond.
Check out Mike’s Highbrow internet home to find out more and purchase a bit of product, and scroll below the embedded video to read the full review of The Arty Farty Promo, taken from Sidewalk 195.
The Arty Farty Promo
The Highbrow Company
The Highbrow Company is the brainchild/creative outlet of Bristol based artist Mike O’Shea, and this, ‘The Arty Farty Promo’, is the second full-length video production to be released under the Highbrow moniker. Before you ask, Highbrow isn’t your typical skateboard company as there’s no team to speak of and no real agenda to be discussed beyond Mike creating products and comedy board graphics for the amusement of himself and others, but regardless of this, the Highbrow movement has gained itself a steady gathering across the West Country and beyond, with card carrying O’Shea disciples coming from all walks of life. And that’s who’s featured here – Bristol locals, friends from all over and whoever else Mike has bumped into on his never-ending travels.
Carrying on with the aesthetic he established in his first release ‘The Highbrow Video’ last year, Mike overlooks VX purists, HD turncoats and even turns his nose up at the ever fashionable VHS-C revival, as he hits the streets armed with nothing more than his pink point and shoot digital camera; we’re talking East London approved lo-fi meets Cash Convertors here. Literally.
Just in case you needed confirmation, the DVD comes complete with a disclaimer stating that if you’re expecting ‘The Arty Farty Promo’ to be anything more than a collection of footage from mates going out skating and having a laugh, then you’re in the wrong place. I guess it doesn’t hurt though that most of the people featured are underground skate rats, the majority of whom it’s nigh on impossible to find new footage of. Joxa, Tom Carr, Owen Hopkins and Jason Lewer all represent for Bristol, whilst London missions see Mike come up on no shortage of street lines from one-time Harmony teammates Jak Pietryga and Danny Jack, and Chris Jones backs up his end section last time around by kickflipping into ditches and generally dealing with anything in his path as only he could.
For a long time now, Phil Parker has been something of an enigma to those outside of the Bristolian loop; apart from his appearances on Converse’s ‘Uncommon Places’ roadtrip, a gnarly Ten Tricks for Kingpin clip and a brief cameo in Pass Port’s last promo video, the general public haven’t really been too exposed to the talents of Bristol’s silent all terrain destroyer, but his closing section here indicates that he’s only just getting warmed up. This kid tears the ledges at Lloyds as hard as he does the transitions at Dean Lane, and he isn’t afraid to cruise through peoples front gardens if needed either. The NCP front board pop out is definitely worthy of a mention, as is the NBD gap to lipslide ender. Here’s hoping that 2013 brings with it a few more Phil Parker sightings.
If you’re after ‘Pretty Sweet’-esque production values and next level technical skating then ‘The Arty Farty Promo’ might not be quite to your liking, but if you’re in the market for a fun filled twenty minute DVD with good vibes, a sense of humour and varied yet solid crew, then this is definitely one for the collection.
Go hunt it out on www.thehighbrowcompany.com now!
