Perhaps no young contemporary artist today captures the insecurity, pain, fearlessness and innocence of youth better than Ed Templeton. A California native, Templeton grew up (and still resides) in the suburbs of Orange County. His works tell the story of a disaffected youth set against the picture perfect landscape of the tract housing and sub-divisions of this region. Templeton is entirely self-taught. As a teenager, he learned the story of art from studying illustrations he would find in books in his local shopping mall. It would be a mistake, however, to label him an outsider artist. He is well aware of what he is doing, and after years of studying his craft he has become quite savvy. Templeton is already a minor celebrity among legions of young fans due to his success as a professional skateboarder, and this has allowed him a rare insiders view into the unique and sometimes wild lives of his subjects. He still spends a good majority of his time on tour with his team, traveling the world and documenting his adventures. His museum installations almost always take the form of life-size journals. They include paintings, photographs, works on paper as well as pages torn from sketchbooks and other random detritus from the artist’s life. Works are hung floor to ceiling, are comprised of hundreds of elements and include images and text applied directly to the wall. Ed Templeton The Prevailing Nothing accompanies the artist's solo exhibition at Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, California (November 15 - December 20, 2003).