Ed Templeton photos in new book Wayward Cognitions, like you've never seen them before
- Text by Shelley Jones
- Photography by Ed Templeton
Ed Templeton’s got a new book out Wayward Cognitions on artist friend Thomas Campbell’s Um Yeah Arts imprint, and it’s not quite like any of his work he’s published before.
Wayward Cognitions is a selection of Ed’s archives from the last twenty years and shows a different side to the youth documentarian’s extensive output. Where his previous books have focused on teenage smokers, kissers and suburbia, the images in Wayward Cognitions are less explicit and reveal the subtlety of Ed’s roaming eye.
Ed’s Wayward shots have a style and spirit – wild, free and often flawed – that unite them and the resulting body of work is truly epochal, standing up with street photography greats like Robert Frank and Weegee.
“All my books before have been very specifically themed, where the title basically tells you exactly what the photos are about,” says Ed in a short video made by Um Yeah Arts. “And with this book the name ‘Wayward Cognitions’ is just a more poetic way to say ‘stray thoughts’. So that’s how I started compiling images for the book. Thinking about these stray images and how I could string these images together to create an entire story.”
Wayward Cognitions is available now from Um Yeah Arts and there are exclusive prints in the special editions.
You might like
Jesse Glazzard’s messy portrait of queer friends, lovers and chosen family
The Sound of Dirt and Beauty — The photographer’s debut monograph explores tender, unpolished moments shaped by the people who he surrounds himself with, while offering a window into the UK’s working-class LGBTQ+ community.
Written by: Sunny Sunday
Behind the curtain at Alternative Miss World 1981
Olympia glamour — Running a subversive take on the traditional beauty pageant, the Andrew Logan organised event prioritised underground creativity and invention. Photographer David Corio went behind the scenes at its biggest edition.
Written by: Miss Rosen
New exhibition highlights British radical living over 200 years
Earthly Paradise — Taking place at the William Morris Gallery, it explores the homes and lives of artists, writers, musicians and more, as well as the conditions that allowed them to thrive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
What life on the Strait of Hormuz is really like
Southern Winds — Bandar Abbas based photographer Morteza Niknahad has been capturing the diverse communities and stories of his local region since he first picked up a camera. His new series highlights the human impact of war.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Nick Haymes’s intimate portrait of his family’s life
Chronograph — Over 25 years, the photographer documented his son’s lives as they grew into adults. The resulting photobook is an exploration of the passage of time, as well as the optimism of youth.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Kristina Rozhkova’s scatty, confronting portrait of captivity
Gut Feeling — The Russian artist’s 2024 arrest and subsequent detention opened her eye towards the omnipresent dynamics of power and control. Her new photobook is a stark exploration of being trapped.
Written by: Isaac Muk
