As a young skateboarder at Lake High School it was natural to look up to the older, better skaters. One of the gnarliest and most inspirational was Brian Bowes. I remember skating to his house and hanging out. Building a ramp (we thought if we soaked the wood it would bend easier), skating across town to the elementary school to shred the curb and watching as the older kids did unimaginable things like ride off a ramp and up a wall… popping off and cleanly landing on the ground and riding away.
That passion and creativity we looked up to on the streets, as well as in art class is keenly on display in Brian’s artwork. The energy of a line and the ability to translate a fantasy world in to a familiar landscape is the root of skateboarding. The ability to see a wall as an apparatus of entertainment as opposed to barrier, or a handrail as a challenge and not a navigable necessity.
All this will be on display as Brian Bowes makes a homecoming. Now living and working in illustration and graphic design in the San Francisco area, Brian is doing a special in-store artist appearance at COLLECTIVE skate/art/snow, 4593 Belden Village Ave, on Sunday, October 16th. Armed with custom skateboard ideas and tales of skate days past, Brian will be on hand with a sketchbook so you can customize an existing design or put him to work on a fresh one just for you… or that skateboarder on your Christmas list.
For more info you can visit the facebook even page through COLLECTIVE or Brian’s own website:
studiobowesart.com/in-store-artist-event/
I’m very excited that the first event like this involves someone that inspired me as a young skateboarder. And he still rips!
Please don’t hesitate to contact the shop for more info also: 330-493-7587
