Somebody Think of the Children
Art Censorship

Thursday wrap up: Henson aftermath, NZ on filtering, ALP form letters

With so much of my time devoted to filtering, I haven’t had much of a chance to post about all the other stuff going on. Here’s a wrap up: Art exhibitions: At a SCAG meeting today in Brisbane, NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos asked censorship ministers to ‘clarify and streamline the National Classification Scheme as it...

Fred Nile sandwiches Gay Mardi Gras and Bill Henson

There’s a trend amongst those calling for Bill Henson’s blood to link the artist’s photography to a slew of other unrelated issues in hope of validating their argument. Be it rape, raunchy t-shirts and music, or in Fred Nile’s case, ‘Homosexual Mardi Gras.’ “I congratulate his main defender, David Marr, for his consistency, because as...

Media fueling Henson fire

You’ll be pleased to know the media is shying away from sensible debate over the Henson case. Helen Brien writes in SMH Heckler this morning: Here we go again. Bill Bloody Henson and his “art”. I am damn sick of it and I am damn sick of the people who will always defend his photos...

Wrap up of David Marr’s Brisbane talk

He’s been labeled an apologist and cheerleader for Bill Henson, but it’s fair to say David Marr’s insight into Australia’s most recent underage art saga doesn’t come close to being matched by any other journalist in this country. Marr’s access to Henson and the families involved puts him in a unique position to lend much...

Reviews of ‘The Henson Case’

Turns out David Marr’s The Henson Case was released today, not November. Early days, but here’s some reviews/opinions: Peter Craven- The Age ‘The Henson Case does not, for instance, constitute a savage and explicit denunciation of the anti-pedophile campaigner Hetty Johnston, who thinks that to take a photo of a young girl with her clothes...

David Marr and the Henson Case – East Coast Talks

David Marr is touring the east coast of Aus to discuss the Bill Henson controversy and his new book The Henson Case. He’ll be in Brisbane on Wednesday the 8th of October, in Melbourne Thursday the 9th of October, and Sydney Monday the 13th. Full details below. Marr’s new book ‘examines the pornography/art debate with...

Melbourne City Council to pre-approve artwork, keep sex mild

Here I was thinking Queensland was going to be the only State to flex its censorship muscles this month, but now Victoria has entered the ring. Curators and owners of Melbourne City Council funded galleries will need to alert the council to potentially controversial pieces ahead of schedule for approval by a review panel before...

Nude female sculpture in QLD is ‘offensive’

A nude female sculpture — in a park — in Queensland — Oh, the humanity! This sculpture by artist Antone Bruinsma (also from QLD) was removed from a park on Bribie Island on Wednesday because it was ‘not council’s job to deliberately go out and offend people.’ Yah… Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Allan Sutherland...

SBS Insight: The Naked Eye review

When Bob Bain posted to the No Censorship mailing list that SBS would be airing a debate on the Bill Henson saga, I questioned whether their was anything left to add that print media hadn’t already covered. Bob reassured me that the people on the guest list could add more. I feared it might turn...

There is no censorship worth noting in Australia: Clive Hamilton

‘There is no censorship worth noting in Australia.‘ The words of former Australia Institute Executive Director, Clive Hamilton, at last nights Art Censorship debate in Sydney (video here). Clive must be losing his memory. Did he forget that recent case where those nasty chaps at David Jones tried to silence The Australia Institute’s criticism of...

Henson’s artwork classified PG, Hetty hits the roof

It’s been a long day (work), so let’s make it quick: The controversial Bill Henson photograph that featured on an invitation to his exhibition has been rated PG by the Classification Board. David Marr writes that while a minority of the classification board thought the impact of the picture was moderate, none of the classifiers...

Henson – News website photos G-rated

Quicky post: The Classification Board has determined that five photographs by Bill Henson that were published on news websites a little over a week ago are G-rated. These are the same photos Mr Rudd decried as ‘absolutely revolting.’ Update 6:36PM: Artist protests Henson’s treatment with similar work.