Get a glimpse into the lives of skateboarders at a time just before mobile phones and social media changed society forever. You get behind-the-scenes access of this fascinating subculture through EdTempleton’s unique position.
From triumphs, disasters, boredom, self-medication and toxic masculinity, to sacrifice. Ed Templeton (1972, Garden Grove, California), one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, captured his environment, friends and skate adventures with a 35mm camera from 1995 onwards.
Through the detailed visual reports Templeton shares all aspects of his life and the lives of his friends and colleagues. They are not caricatures of unruly kids, but profound personalities, searching for themselves and for their place in life, at the most spectacular locations. The images form a visual time capsule of a fascinating subculture.
Templetons’ works surpass both the autobiographical and the documentary. Although he was part of the skateboard scene, he also took an outside view. You could call him a sort of voyeur, like the eye of the storm; quiet and observant, while life whirls around him.
Ed Templeton
Wires Crossed
15 April 2023 – 17 September 2023
Bonnefanten museum
Avenue Ceramique 250
6221 KX Maastricht
The Netherlands
https://www.bonnefanten.nl/
Ed Templeton, Children hold up their skateboards, Vancouver, Canada, 2009. Courtesy of the artist.
Ed Templeton, Matt Bennett jumps between trains, Bethlehem, Palestine, 2005. Courtesy of the artist.
Ed Templeton, Lance Mountain Jr. in a ditch tunnel, California, 2001. Courtesy of the artist.
Leading image: Ed Templeton, Mike Maldonado skated a full pipe, Davenport, Iowa, 1998, GSP, 132,08 x 91,44 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
