Review: Ed Templeton at Roberts & Tilton

Ed Templeton is a force to be reckoned with, even if his work is not particularly original or wise or consistently engaging. When he packs a gallery with hundreds of individually framed paintings, drawings and photographs, as he has done several times now at Roberts & Tilton, the whole exudes an energy — at once extroverted and introspective — that itself is impressive.

Templeton is a professional skateboarder in his mid-30s who lives in Orange County and has been showing his art nearly as long as he’s been earning concussions (nine at last count). Secure in his street-cred as a skater, he seems all too vulnerable as an artist. An air of neediness hangs over the show, preventing him from working through his copious influences (Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, the whole “Beautiful Losers” crowd, Jim Goldberg, Allen Ginsberg, etc., etc.) to reach the particularities of his own vision.

The self isn’t just a subtext to a Templeton show, it’s the main event. His photographs and paintings — and sculptures too — chronicle his  life and travels and, to borrow the title of a self-portrait and the exhibition as a whole, map his “inner war.” Bits of gossip, protestations of loyalty, pithy and pretentious observations, manifestations of love, records of bruises, and rants about politics and religion spill together with all the confessional depth of a Facebook page.

Templeton’s tone vacillates between wide-eyed wonder and weary worldliness. It can get cloying even as the sheer force of his efforts sucks you in. If only he took as many risks with his art as he does on his board.

-- Leah Ollman

Roberts & Tilton, 5801 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (323) 549-0223, through Saturday.

Above: Installation view of Ed Templeton's "Map of the Inner War" (2008). Credit: Roberts & Tilton

Comments

Quite painful my dear, Success!

[sea cliff vert ramp]

Ed excels in many mediums and disciplines while the reviewer belittles and totally misses the point.

[Peter Currie]

I completely disagree with everyword you wrote. Everyones entitled to there own opion. But I don't personally like yours.

[james]

wow. this critic completely missed the point. did they even go to the show? It's a bummer that someone is employing this person to write such mundane drivel.

[jesse james]

I totally agree with this critic!!

[artattack]

i AM a fan of Ed's work (i own two pieces) and agree to the main context of Leah. Ed has been creating the "same" art without evolution. my two pieces are 5 years old--when i bought them, so they're actually probably 2 years even earlier. anyways, they look like they just came off the walls of Roberts & Tilton. nothing new for those of us who've been following "outsider art(ists)", Art Brut, contemporary. many others who continue to roll onto success and succession have evolved their works.

Ed's work is so trite and executed so boringly.

[Jake]

You people are looking for a substance? Go watch indulge in some mtv , being close minded will getyou no-where

[nath]

eds work is a reflection of himself and his travels
until his opinions and perceptions of the things he sees changes why is there such need for him to change or evolve in his work?

Im a biased skateboarding graphic design student from the UK.
Ed is of great inspiration to me.

[eric]

ed is the man and he makes great art on and off his skateboard so dont hate