Ed Templeton
Ed Templeton is probably the reason your favourite skater/photographer/artist or whatever, does what they do. And with it being his birthday today, we thought we’d recap a little bit about why exactly we like him so much. Happy Birthday Ed.
Ed is pretty much the original skater/artist. While in other skaters that combination can often result in some really bad art, or some really bad skating, Ed brings a creative depth to the industry that could so easily turn pretty damn bro without it. Ed’s work authentically documents the skate scene that surrounds him, capturing the gritty, raw nihilism of youth culture and some rad skating in between. With titles such as Golden Age of Neglect, Teenage Smokers and the undeniably cool Teenage Kissers, you get the picture
I’ve been all about Templeton’s work since I saw my first Toy Machine print ad. I can’t remember the trick exactly but the photography and the surrounding imagery and humor hooked me in, I wanted to be a ‘loyal pawn’. It made me go out and buy the video box set and I lived in those videos for weeks. Not only had Templeton founded this company, he created this whole lifestyle and visual world that every kid I knew wanted to live in. Since Templeton made it big in the early nineties, he’s put out countless zines, changed the course of modern street skating (by including lines and handrails) and amongst other serious injuries, broken his neck.
If this happens to be the first time you’ve heard the name Ed Templeton, enjoy our selection of his work below and be sure to check out more Ed here and here. You should probably also watch this, watch this and read this (for some serious relationship goals.) You won’t be sorry.
