Open letter in support of Bill Henson

...this is an excerpt from a long letter written to Australia's political leaders in support of Bill Henson. A number of significant creative and cultural dignitaries have signed it including J M Coetzee and Cate Blanchett to name some obvious people...

The work itself is not pornographic, even though it includes depictions of naked human beings. It is more justly seen in a tradition of the nude in art that stretches back to the ancient Greeks, and which includes painters such as Caravaggio and Michelangelo. Many of Henson’s controversial images are not in fact sexual at all. Others depict the sexuality of young people, but in ways that are fundamentally different from how naked bodies are depicted in pornography. The intention of the art is not to titillate or to gratify perverse sexual desires, but rather to make the viewer consider the fragility, beauty, mystery and inviolabilty of the human body. In contrast, the defining essence of pornography is that it endorses, condones or encourages abusive sexual practice. We respectfully suggest that Henson’s work, even when it is disturbing, does nothing of the sort. I would personally argue that, in its respect for the autonomy of its subjects, the work is a counter-argument to the exploitation and commodification of young people in both commercial media and in pornographic images. Many of us have children of our own. The sexual abuse and exploitation of children fills us all with abhorrence. But it is equally damaging to deny the obvious fact that adolescents are sexual beings. This very denial contributes to abusive behaviour, because it is part of the denial of the personhood of the young. In my opinion, Mr Henson’s work shows the delicacy of the transition from childhood to adulthood, its troubledness and its beauty, in ways which do not violate the essential innocence of his subjects. It can be confronting, but that does not mean that it is pornography. Legal opinion is that if charges were laid against Mr Henson, he would be unlikely to be found guilty. The seizure of the photographs, and the possible prosecution of Mr Henson, the Rosyln Oxley9 Gallery or the parents of Henson’s subjects, takes up valuable police and court time that would be much better spent pursuing those who actually do abuse children.

BILL HENSON - the saga continues...

Here is more about the case as it evolves in Oz....a remarkable case of great art being viewed as pornography by narrow-minded witchhunters. One cannot help noticing, that if you view the image above, which is the main one causing the controversy, that it puts into question the motivations of the viewer if they chose to see porn in this image. Its more disturbing to me that people can see something so vile in a beautiful portait of trust and innocence. These charges being made say more about the people creating the charges than the artist himself. What do they call that in psychology? ...'Projecting'?

FOR more than 25 years, Bill Henson has been called controversial — and bombastic, melodramatic and overwrought.

But it was only the art world that cared. Occasionally it voiced some discomfort, but mostly there was admiration for an artist whose moody use of light and dark subject matter was in the spirit of bad-boy painter Caravaggio and hard-drinking poet Baudelaire.

But this time the police have stepped in, a prime minister has called his pictures "revolting", and "that Bill Henson" has come close to being a notorious household name.

In 1983, he photographed a group of young nude junkies lying about in European museums. The toughest criticism he received was being called "obvious".

About 15 years he ago he produced a series of teenage nudes sprawled across car bonnets. Not titillating; more akin to a nightmarish car wreck. Some of this series of nudes are on show at the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, where they have barely raised an eyebrow, let alone a scandal.

Director of the gallery Ron Ramsey said yesterday: "When that series first went on show, internationally, there was more concern with the way they were presented … with rough edges and some of them actually torn. We have a couple in the collection and there has never been, as far as I know, any concern or complaints from the public.

"They had to go through the (Newcastle) council and the acquisition committee, and there were no objections raised. That's what's shocking everybody — that works similar to what we've put on display are now the subject of a police investigation and all this controversy. We're gobsmacked."

Forty years ago, artist Martin Sharp was famously tried for obscenity because of a piece he wrote for Oz magazine. Last week he received an invitation to Henson's exhibition, which features a topless 13-year-old.

"It was a powerful image. I would call it very beautiful in its vulnerability rather than 'revolting' as the Prime Minister has done," Sharp said. The photograph suggested the girl "gave her trust to Henson … and this trust has been violated by the police and Kevin Rudd's comments."

CENSORSHIP in Australia out of control.

Australia has always had a dubious reputation as far as art and film censorship is concerned, but if anyone thought that with Little Churchy Boy John Howard out of office, the national sport of censorship would catch up to the new millenium, you are sadly mistaken. Here are two cases worth checking, that are truly disturbing. It is hard to believe that in the year 2008 that an artist of the calibre of Bill Henson who has represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, and who is probably one of the nations mosthighly respected artists internationally could have his work mis-interpreted with such vehement narrow minded hysteria. Please read article from The Age newspaper from Victoria.

THE art world has denounced a "dark day in Australian culture" after police seized up to 21 photos of naked children and said they would lay charges over an exhibition by renowned Australian artist Bill Henson.

While Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the works as "revolting" and devoid of artistic merit, the art community has come out strongly on the side of Henson, rejecting the accusation that his works are pornographic.

At 3pm yesterday, police announced charges would be laid under the NSW and Commonwealth crimes acts for publishing an indecent article.

It was unclear whether Henson or people from Sydney's Rosyln Oxley9 Gallery, which published several of the controversial images on its website and promotional material, would be charged.

Both Henson and gallery owner Roslyn Oxley went to ground. Henson is believed to be distressed by the charges.

"This morning, police have attended the gallery and executed a search warrant and seized several items depicting a child under the age of 16 years of age in a sexual context," Superintendent Allan Sicard told media gathered outside the gallery.

The Age believes that police are also examining previous work by the artist.

Police raided the gallery on Thursday night following a complaint that has since been revealed to have come from child sexual assault advocate Hetty Johnson.

Early yesterday the gallery released a statement saying it would remove some of the works and reopen the show.

"After much consideration, we have decided to withdraw a number of works from the current Bill Henson exhibition that have attracted controversy," the statement says.

"The current show, without the said works, will be reopened for viewing in coming days."

The gallery has not commented since it was announced charges would be laid.

Henson has been a prominent figure since his first show at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1975. His work is found in public, private and corporate collections, including the National Gallery of Australia and the Australian High Court. It is also held in several prestigious international galleries, including the Guggenheim in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.

Over the decades, his subjects have included crowds, landscapes and images of urban decay, but those that excite the most comment and controversy have been of adolescent bodies.

In his latest exhibition, seen by Fairfax journalists at an early viewing this week, photographs of naked children comprised about a third of the show. Most of the shots were taken from the waist up, although the genitals of the female model were visible in one image.

AND...also, of less significance, but none the less equally terifying, is this recent cencorship case, in the 'Lucky Country'.

IF ONE of art's aims is to inspire discourse, debate, even division, Van Thanh Rudd has achieved plenty, even without his painting finding a hook from which to hang.

Yet the artist remained elusive about his controversial work, Special Forces (After Banksy) yesterday. Melbourne "artist activist" Rudd, the nephew of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, painted Special Forces as a comment, he says, about the global economy hampering efforts to improve human rights.

It was to hang in City Library as part of the Ho Chi Minh City Young Artists Exhibition, but City of Melbourne chief executive Kathy Alexander decided that it "did not contribute to the original intent of the exhibition".

Legal advice warned that the depiction of an Olympic torch-carrying, fast-food chain mascot, Ronald McDonald, running past a burning monk could attract legal action from McDonald's.

"I may well have been overly cautious," Dr Alexander said. "But I'm five weeks in the job and I look after $300 million of ratepayers' money, and I think they would be pretty peeved if they ended up in court paying millions of dollars."

The decision inspired criticism that the council was pandering to Chinese sensitivities, a claim Dr Alexander denies.

Lord Mayor John So, who has previously been accused of over-sensitivity on issues related to China, was not told of the decision to reject the painting until after it was made, Dr Alexander said. Councillors Peter Clarke and Fraser Brindley believe self-censorship is being practised.

Cr Brindley wants council to tighten guidelines for artworks chosen for display.

KIDS CANT READ

This kid obviously didnt heed the sign. Poor little feller.

Gustave Doré

Thee Master Illustrator.

KTL Tour

Please make sure you check out the KTL shows when they hit the East Coast of the USA this month. Will be very special mind altering, body melting, psychedelic inhalations from the left hand lower shadow drenched undersphere.

May 17 2008 8:00P
KTL @ FIMAV Victoriaville, Quebec
May 18 2008 8:00P
KTL @ Music Gallery Toronto, Ontario
May 19 2008 8:00P
KTL @ Empty Bottle Chicago, Illinois
May 20 2008 8:00P
KTL @ Johnny Brendas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 21 2008 8:00P
KTL @ Knitting Factory New York, New York

HOLOSCENE/TUNTURIA split 10"art

These fine gents have created a masterpiece and given me the pleasure of creating the artwork. coming soon. chceck it out. really great stuff.

THRONES POSTER

As part of the continuing Tour Series via the venerable, if slightly bearded Mr Tim Moss, here is a design for the upcomign Thrones show. It will be printed by the highly talented Andy at Broken Press. Will be availabe at the show.

READING

Yesterday I was browsing in my local Barnes & Noble bookstore, and noticed a slight commotion...I moved a little closer to view what was happening and was astonished to see two truant officers arresting a nerdy looking 15 year old girl for truancy. In a bookstore!! I thought this was highly amusing. Arrested for READING. It reminded me of the Bill Hicks sketch, about the South, where upon opening a book in a diner, the cowboy at the counter says 'Looks like we got ourselves a READER.' But this was for real. I didnt know whether i should burst out laughing or try and rescue the girl from such an astounding case of misappropriate use of authority. I hope she doesnt lose her enthusiasm for a dying art....

MORE recent works.

Recent shirt design plus the new card i designed for myself to hand out when required...

RECENT WORKS completed this week.

Some new works completed in the last week and a half.

NEW Made Out of Babies artwork completed

New artwork completed for the new Made Out of Babies album, The Ruiner, out soon on The End.