A Sydney exhibition featuring photographs of
naked 12 and 13-year-olds has been shut
down as police investigate its legality.
The exhibition, by Australian photographer
Bill Henson, was scheduled to open at 6pm
last night at Roslyn Oxley9 gallery in
Paddington, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
It includes large photographic prints of
topless children, one of which was included on
the opening night invitation.
The images angered a child-protection
group, which labelled them child
pornography, but artists and gallery patrons
view the shutdown as ''censorship'' of genuine
art.
Public pressure forced the gallery to cancel
the opening just before it was to begin, but
police said later the exhibition would remain
closed to allow an investigation.
They want to speak with a girl featured in
the photos before making a decision on
whether it will go ahead.
Specialist child exploitation detectives have
also referred the gallery's website, which also
featured images from the exhibition, to the
nation's media watchdog.
Rose Bay police Superintendent Allan Sicard
told reporters outside the gallery last night,
''Police have spoken to the photographer and
gallery owners.
''As a result of this conversation, all parties
have agreed the exhibition will be temporarily
closed to allow further inquiries to be made.
''These inquiries include speaking to the
subject of these photos and her parents.
''Once these inquiries have been made, a
decision will be made on the future of the
exhibition.
''Meanwhile, child exploitation internet
detectives are reviewing the content of the
gallery's website and have referred the matters
to the Australian Communications and Media
Authority.''
A spokeswoman for the gallery said it was
hoped the exhibition would go ahead.
''Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,''
she said.
''It is a beautiful show.''
However, the founder and executive
director of child sexual assault action group
Bravehearts, Hetty Johnston, called for
Henson and the gallery to be prosecuted.
''It's child exploitation, it's criminal activity
and it should be prosecuted, both the
photographer Bill Henson ... but also the
gallery because these are clearly images that
are sexually exploiting young children.
''They are clearly illegal child pornography
images. It's not about art at all. It's a crime and
I hope they are prosecuted.''
A senior art lecturer at the University of
Sydney, Ann Elias, was among those arriving at
the venue last night to find it closed.
''It's another infringement of the freedom of
expression and it's just not acceptable,'' she
said, labelling the cancellation a disgrace.
Another gallery patron, Stephen Graham,
said he felt uncomfortable with the adult
portrayal of children but denied the exhibition
should be shut down. ''This is artistic
censorship,'' he said. ''It's the magazines and
advertisers that they should be targeting.''
The Australian Communications and Media
Authority confirmed earlier it was acting on a
formal complaint about the content of the
gallery's website. The authority's media
manager, Donald Robertson, said. ''We have
received a complaint and we have
commenced an investigation.''
Mr Robertson said it appeared the website
was hosted overseas, making it more difficult
to order that the images be removed.
However, late yesterday the images had been
removed and the website had crashed.
Democrats leader Lyn Allison instigated a
Senate inquiry into the sexualisation of
children in the media which is to report next
month.
''I think it is shocking and confronting, but
I am torn on this I have to say because I was
an art teacher and I am very reluctant to want
to censor what artists do and a lot of artists do
want to be confronting, to raise issues, and in
some ways, this does that,'' Senator Allison
said.
She said they were beautiful photographs ''if
you take away the content''.
Earlier this month, there was community
outrage after the publication of images
showing a topless 16-year-old model sharing a
bath with a 15-year-old male model in Russh
Australia magazine. AAP