Art freedoms must be tightened: ACL

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has asked Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to direct the November censorship meeting of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General to “close the artistic merit loopholes” in the National Classification Scheme which “circumvent community standards”, and consider taking wider action to “protect children against exploitation by the art world”.

The call came as state community services minister, Kevin Greene argued for greater restrictions on the depiction of child nudity, and NSW attorney general, John Hatzistergos promised to ask relevant ministers to review the scheme. Federal arts minister Peter Garrett also asked the Australia Council to develop protocols for the depiction of children in government-funded works.

The calls came following Art Monthly’s publication of naked photographs of then six-year-old Olympia Nelson.

“A little child cannot answer for themselves about whether they wish to be depicted in this way,” Mr Rudd said of the July issue. “Frankly, I can’t stand this stuff.”

Media commentators said the image, defended by now 11-year-old Olympia, was surrounded by other sexually explicit and violent photographs in the issue and used to make a political point defending artist Bill Henson, whose photographs of naked 12 and 13-year-olds caused an uproar in June.

“Surrounding (Olympia) with these other images superimposes a further, more sinister, meaning on them,” wrote researcher Melinda Tankard Reist in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Concerned Sydney Anglican art lover Claire Smith said artistic freedoms must come with responsibility. “Art can’t be at the expense of people.”

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