Police had raided and closed down a Sydney gallery showing Bill Henson's portraits of nude and year olds. But they announced today that they would not file charges after Australia's Classification Board, which rates films, videos, exhibitions and books, declared the images "mild and justified". The incident last month sparked a nationwide debate on art and censorship fuelled by prime minister Kevin Rudd's description of the photos as "absolutely revolting". Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett, 42, was among a group of the nation's leading artists and writers who rallied behind Henson saying stifling art risked damaging Australia's cultural reputation. Mr Henson, 52, whose work has been shown in New York, Paris and at the Venice Biennale, said he had found support extended to him over the past weeks "profoundly humbling". New South Wales Police said on Friday they had been advised by the director of public prosecutions there was no reasonable prospect of a successful conviction. Terms and Conditions. Style Book. Weather Forecast.


It's rude to stare: Bill Henson revisited

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Bill Henson born 7 October [1] is an Australian contemporary art photographer. Henson has exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries such as the Solomon R. His current practice involves holding one exhibition in Australia every two years, and up to three overseas exhibitions each year. The use of chiaroscuro [2] is common throughout his works, through underexposure and adjustment in printing. His photographs' use of bokeh is intended to give them a painterly atmosphere. The work is often presented as diptychs , triptychs and in other groupings, and the exhibitions are specifically curated by Henson to reflect a sense of musicality.
Although surreptitious, watching or staring at others is an ancient topos in cultural history it is still fraught with danger and taboo especially where nudity is involved. Even today it is considered rude to stare. Since the Renaissance both church and state have punished visual art, using it as a scapegoat for their failure to control community sexuality. Consequently churches were forbidden to install paintings containing images of nudity. The inquiry resulted in the withdrawal of state funding to artists, a significant number of them homosexual or feminist, whose art contained images of nudity and was allegedly pornographic.