By: Gavin Weaver

 Jack of all trades:  Owner of Toy Machine Skateboards  Professional Skateboarder  Graphic Designer  Painter  Photographer  Video Producer

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Background:  ED TEMPLETON  BORN  1972, Orange County, CA  Lives and works in Huntington Beach, CA  Ed Templeton was born in Orange County, a sprawling suburb of Los Angeles. He became interested in skateboarding when he was in junior high school and devoted all his time to it. Templeton’s interest in fine art began as a teen with shopping mall books about canonical painters such as Picasso, Dali, but it was his later discovery of Egon Schiele that would have a profound effect on him. Templeton eventually became a professional skateboarder, which allowed him opportunities to tour Europe. While there, he spent every free moment absorbing its galleries and art museums. Soon after, he realized his first exhibition, a skateboard art show in Chicago. Templeton is owner and creative director for his company, Toy Machine Bloodsucking Skateboard Company. He has also executed design work for Spin, as well as Grand Royal, Geffen and Factory Records. Templeton considers his painting and photography pursuits separate from his skateboarding and design work, which is more graphic based. He has exhibited his work worldwide including exhibitions at Alleged Gallery, New York, Roberts and Tilton, Los Angeles, Modern Art, London, and Aki-X Gallery, Tokyo. Solo museum exhibitions include Museum Het Domein, Netherlands (2000), and Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2002). Templeton currently lives and works in Huntington Beach, California. 

Artistic Style  Ed considers his photography and painting to be separate from his design work.  However, both his paintings and design work feature a simple almost-child like look to them, which is contrasts sharply with oftentimes highly sexualized and violent scenes.

Painting

Use of Color  Ed typically uses a palette of muted pastel colors in his work.  The softness of the colors contrasts with the often strange and somewhat disturbing content of his work.  Othertimes, it adds a sense of calm and simplicity to the work.

Photography  Ed first received attention in the art world for his photography book called: “Teenage Smokers”

 Ed has described his photographic style as voyeuristic. He prefers to document what happens while not interfering.

Bib  templeton templeton   camera.com/photography/m- system/rolling-through-the-shadows-ed- templeton/ camera.com/photography/m- system/rolling-through-the-shadows-ed- templeton/  “Teenage Smokers” – Ed Templeton  “Teenage Kissers” – Ed Templeton