Nonsensical comments, abuse, baiting, ranting and leftist stupidity will not be tolerated.
You could be on to something with those pigs' bums, MK. That's got to be good for an arts grant. I'm thinking photographic exibition, but an live installation exercise is not out of the question.
It's a knee-jerk reaction to label this stuff child pornography. But it's not so much art as crap and they were right to shut it down. Too bad it wasn't done from a perspective of taste, but rather fear that it might be illegal.
Apparently the pictures were taken by the cops and the owners are looking to open the gallery up again now.
Far as children are concerned, i'd rather err on the side of caution.
My comments over at Bolta's:
Well, I looked at the photos last night, I’ve seen the censored ones on the news, and I’ve read the comments.
Sure, some of his stuff is arty, and his industrial/landscape work is magnificent.
I like the lighting on his subjects, but I really don’t appreciate his actual subjects when they are pubescent children.
I have enough difficulty trying to find decent clothing for my 5yo daughter.
She is not allowed to choose her own underwear when we shop for clothes, and half the time what she would like to buy is thoroughly inappropriate for her age.
When I have a 5yo telling me that she likes her new leggings because they make her look skinny and that’s really cool, then there is something definitely wrong with our society.
When she wants to wear junk jewellery and makeup because she looks better with decoration, that adds to my view.
And when I click on a link and see eroticised photographs of children naked and semi-naked, parading as art, I am nauseated.
The parents need a smack upside the head just for starters.
Your job is to protect your children and provide them with what they need to grow into successful adults.
You are not there to supply them to any ‘artist’ who comes along with a bit of a fetish for young flesh.
I don’t care if it’s art or not.
It is abuse of children and against the law.
/rant (apologies for the length.)
We live in a society where children and are sexualised, then bleat about 12yos having sex and getting pregnant.
I found out earlier this year that a 12 girl can have an abortion without her parents being notified, for example, and 'art' like this is not helping to protect children.
I used to know one fellow I called Uncle Pervy because he was a photographer who used to photograph naked young girls, too. His niece, in fact, and that fetish of his stopped because when she hit about 16 or 17 she put the kybosh on it.
He also used to take naked photos of his sister, too.
No, his name isn't Bill Henson, btw.
At least Uncle Pervy was honest about his job as a photographer for one of the porn mags all those years ago.
What we need now is a strong state to step in.
What we need, you mental pygmy, is for free citizens to express their revulsion at the exploitation of children.
Yeah, what the f@#$, it's a effing nazi gulag when you can't view pictures of naked girls in peace. Damn those conservatives and their effing values eh damo.
He's just upset kg, the 'art' was pulled before he could appreciate it fully at the gallery. Those nasty coppers took em' away.
I've loved Henson's photographs for years. They are the reverse of exploitative: they are beautiful and truthful pictures of the innocence (yes, innocence) and inviolability of adolescence. It breaks my heart that his name and his art is being dragged through the mud by people who have never seen his work and know nothing about what he does.
I told you now to come back here teach, but like all stupid leftards you must be helped to the door. Get along now, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Go and yearn for your socialism crap on your own blog.
Edited By Siteowner
My condolences Alison, i've seen one or two of those pics, just don't share your 'enthusiasm' for them. And a lot of other folks don't either. But I'm sure you'll survive.
Oh rubbish, Damian. We have plenty of laws, we just lack a judiciary with the balls to uphold them.
Because the luvvies call it "art" it's somehow acceptable to strip kids off and parade them around for everyone to see?
Bugger that. Charge the bastard, and give the parents a bitchslap too, while we're at it.
Alison, do you have children?
I presume that if you do, you'll have no issue with some bloke wanting them to get their kit off and take arty pictures of them.
It doesn't matter that all those years you spent teaching them about the proper way to behave in society about how to dress appropriately will be undone.
It doesn't matter that your pubescent children will become over-sexualised before their time, it's Art so that's okay.
Okay, I've just seen you've got kids, Alison.
I don't understand how you think that eroticising children is a Good Thing.
I can see the artistic merit in it, but sometimes, overall morality should trump "art."
As far as I'm concerned, society is a whole lot bigger than the sum of its parts, and so what I do has impact upon more than just myself and my immediate circle of acquaintance.
If I accept that anyone can do whatever they want to do without consequence, then I may as well roll over now.
Sorry, my daughter is more important than your sensibilities. She will not grow up in a moral vacuum that says she must be appropriately clothed at all times.
Except when mum says it's okay to get her kit off for arty photo exhibits.
So much for consistency in parenting.
Regarding Damian's comment about the need for a strong state. Friedrich Hayek wrote a lot about that. A strong state is one that can do the right thing by the country regardless of pressure from, well, pressure groups. A small government, limited to a few key areas (mainly defense), can resist calls to intervene in favour of one group or another (using the taxpayers' money) much more easily than can a government which is so large that it already has its finger in almost every pie.
The conclusion of Hayek's argument is that only a small state can be a strong state; a large state is necessarily a weak state.
In previous times, these slimeballs would be tarred and feathered before being turfed out of town.
Actually, in previous times the girl would've been married and possibly pregnant by the time she was 13.
Henson's photos reflect a lot of the vulnerabilities and uncertainties facing young girls. I think that any young woman who has passed through her teenage years can relate to these images.
Judging from what a lot of older women are saying about the photos, a lot of them don't.
Should Bill Henson or the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery be charged, one would hope that the various Australian government-sponsored websites hosting Bill Henson's images would be subject to the same, hopefully without the threat of violence.
As for the news service which ran the most incendiary story, perhaps they might also be charged with the ongoing willful distribution of images of alleged child pornography, images that the gallery has since chosen to remove from its website.
The NSW and Victorian state public art galleries played host to the largest exhibitions of Bill Henson's works, to the most diverse audience ever known -- and not a single complaint was made. And what of the various entry fee concessions, guided tours and workshops offered to school groups? Nup, no complaints there, either.
Some of Henson's earlier models, now parents, have no regrets.
I included links to back all these statements up, but unfortunately your comment system rejected my post for having "too many links". I tried removing them one by one but ran out of patience.
"Should Bill Henson or the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery be charged..."
I believe they're looking into it, no objections from me.
"Nup, no complaints there, either. Some of Henson's earlier models, now parents, have no regrets."
Well recently a notorious pedophile seemed to have a lot of support from lefties in government, so i guess it's all good then.
By the way i'm a member of the public and i'm not yearning to view pictures of little girls, so are a lot of other people, a great majority in fact including the PM. Perhaps you could factor that fact into your sphere before you take on the role of 'Public Defender'.
"I included links to back all these statements up, but unfortunately your comment system rejected my post for having "too many links". I tried removing them one by one but ran out of patience."
Thank God for small mercies.
He's right!
Henson's models have no regrets.
My response to that is that just because a small portion of society is fine and dandy with it, does that mean that the rest of us should therefore just suck it up and deal with it?
Well of course that would depend on your objectives.
Should your objective be to stick it to so-called "lefties" at any and every opportunity, forcing your worldview down everybody else's throat in the process, then I guess yes that would be a reasonable response.
But if your objective is to protect children, then it will all be for zilch.
Adolescents are looking to the world to work out what it means to be a man, a woman. And the examples peddled by the mass media are what's leading to the 'sexualisation' of children. The desire to live up to society's ideal projection.
In the case of women, it seems to be that being thin, sexy, shallow and brainless is the idealised view of women. Particularly if one is watching Video Hits, or reading The Daily Telegraph.
Shutting down Bill Henson won't change a thing.
"...forcing your worldview down everybody else's throat in the process..."
Oh settle down and stop being so hysterical. You're being a drama queen son, here's a clue for you brainiac, if you don't want our worldview shoved down your throat, you can always not read what i post.
It's only in lefties wild fantasies that i kick down their doors and haul them out of bed and in front of the PC and bark, READ!
You're right about the 'sexualisation' of children in society.
"Shutting down Bill Henson won't change a thing."
I'm sure if one of those other forms of media were being shut down, someone like you would be crowing the same thing, so as far as i'm concerned, it's a start.
Are you aware that your use of "previous times" implies medieval standards of censorship? What about all the free-thinking women that have commented? Maybe they should be burnt at the stake for witchery. Bill Henson has been producing and exhibiting high quality photographs since the mid 1970's and will continue to do so unless stopped by prudes such as yourself. Does it strike you at all that you don't see sexual deviants perpetually congregated around the nudes at the Art Gallery of New South Whales? Why are you convinced that naked form is somehow equal to statutory rape. Wake up to the 20th century and have some faith in your fellow man, before you find yourself at the beach in a bodysuit because your certain your kneecaps could see you assaulted.
Boohoo, censorship, gulag, can't see your pictures of naked little girls, have a tissue elliot and get over it, it's hard i'm sure but you'll get over it son.
It's little girls we're talking about, naked little girls, why are you convinced that photos of little naked girls are just fine. You wake up to yourself and wipe away your tears because you were denied pictures of naked little girls
Are you aroused by every naked form? Find yourself having to hide your eyes from the babies at the beach because it's awaken a sexual urge?
Unless your belly has fallen victim to your mindless pursuit of chewing so much of this blogosphere fat i'm sure you've seen at least one set of genitals in your life, and although i wouldn't be suprised if in your arrogance you find yourself arousing, it's safe to say that simple nakedness has never equalled pornography, and shall never equal pornography.
The only reason i can see for you to have in fact responded in such a manner is because you are procrastinating as to how your tiny "moral" brain will possibly operate when faced with the larger issues at hand. Firstly i advise dealing with the paradox of capital punishment, then the paradox of a christian conservative advocating capital punishment, and finally the paradox of christianity in general. Good luck with it all, hope to hear from you soon, if you ever make it back from the deep dark well of self evaluation that you are apparently yet to face
Cut the bullshit Elliot, paradoxes, dark wells and what not. Take your advice and shove it up your ass. if you want to spare the lives of criminals and scumbags that's your problem, far as i'm concerned there are too many criminals who should just be shot and thrown into the sea to feed sharks.
And it's not simple nakedness you condescending tosser, it's naked little girls. Oh and i don't mind if you go to the local art gallery and study someone else's penis, scrotum or anus, since you seem quite infatuated with genitalia knock yourself out old son, just the little boys and girls photos that i have a problem with.
"Are you aroused by every naked form?"
No, and i don't yearn to see pictures of naked little girls but judging from your incessant whining on the topic, it sure sounds like you are. Again Elliot have a tissue Elliot and get over it.
Anyway elliot it's been nice chatting with you, obviously i can't convince you to change your mind on this [not that i was trying or something but i'm sure you think that since you're the centre of the universe and all that], you can't change my mind on this either, so perhaps we should leave it at that. Or is that too complex for a moral pygmy like you?
Heard the news?
Winner.
You must be so chuffed eh Elli.
I'm surprised you're not already there admiring and making an offer.
Commenting by HaloScan
