Photography Collection

By Michelle Cazzulino And Neil Keene
Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett yesterday mounted an impassioned defence of australian photographer Bill Henson, urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and NSW Premier Morris Iemma to reconsider their comments on the controversial artist's work. The mother-of-three was among more than 40 signatories, including writer Peter Goldsworthy and economist Saul Eslake, to an open letter by the Creative Australia 2020 Summit representatives. The missive was released just hours after a third NSW gallery removed a number of Henson's works from display.
Police last week raided the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington, closing down an exhibition of the artist's works just before it was due to open. On Friday, officers seized 20 of Henson's images, some featuring a naked girl, said to be aged just 13. The artworks were criticised by a number of politicians, with Mr Rudd describing them as "revolting". But the letter signed by Blanchett said the Prime Minister, along with Mr Iemma, should "rethink their public comments". It also warned that pursuing criminal charges against Henson could harm the children depicted in the seized images. "The potential prosecution of one of our most respected artists . . . does untold damage to our culture reputation," the letter said. "We suggest that the. . . criminalisation of laying charges against Mr Henson, his gallery and the parents of the young people depicted in his work would be far more traumatic for the young people concerned than anything Mr Henson has done."
A spokesman for Mr Rudd last night said the Prime Minister did not resile from his remarks. "He was asked to express a personal opinion and he did that," the spokesman said. Mr Iemma was also unrepentant: "My opinion is clear - these photographs crossed the line and they were inappropriate. I'm all for free speech but never at the expense of a child's safety and innocence."
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione yesterday told The Daily Telegraph the force's legal division was still considering whether criminal charges should be laid against Henson or the owners of the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. He said he found the images objectionable. "I've got my own personal view and it's one that's not inconsistent with those police who have been out and taken those pictures into their possession," he said. " . . . I support the police in what they've done." In Victoria, Adrian Maiolla, the acting president of the Life Models Society, said he, too, had found Henson's images distasteful. His organisation did not allow models aged under 18 to become members and would not supply them to artists, he added. At the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, staff yesterday removed a giant print by Henson, featuring a naked and seemingly unconscious female being carried by two other naked subjects. Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, from Newcastle police, said the images were regarded as suspicious.