Bill Henson the 55 year old Australian and internationally renowned photography artist, who had provoked a 2008 national debate in Australia on censorship following the seizure by police from a prominent art gallery of large format photographs depicting naked children as young as 13, has again opened an exhibition of works likely to further inflame debate. The very heated debate in 2008 between the arts community and child protection advocates prompted the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to declare the images as ‘absolutely revolting’ and without artistic merit, which in turn prompted leading artists actors and critics to intensify their support for Henson’s work. No charges were laid from the previous seizure and all works were eventually returned, leaving open the interpretation between pornography and nudity in art. Inspired by Joel Cresswell ow.ly/4zb43 image source Herald Letters ow.ly/4zbiz Difference between pornography and nudity (April 16 2011)

Bill Henson the 55 year old Australian and internationally renowned photography artist, who had provoked a 2008 national debate in Australia on censorship following the seizure by police from a prominent art gallery of large format photographs depicting naked children as young as 13, has again opened an exhibition of works likely to further inflame debate. The very heated debate in 2008 between the arts community and child protection advocates prompted the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to declare the images as ‘absolutely revolting’ and without artistic merit, which in turn prompted leading artists actors and critics to intensify their support for Henson’s work. No charges were laid from the previous seizure and all works were eventually returned, leaving open the interpretation between pornography and nudity in art.

 

Inspired by Joel Cresswell ow.ly/4zb43 image source Herald Letters ow.ly/4zbiz