Bill Henson is an Australian contemporary photographer. His most recent body of work explores a dark side of adolescence. He photographs very young teenage models in states of despair and intoxication. His photographs are very painterly in their use of light. I find them to be both completely arresting and haunting. I’ve become quite fascinated by the controversies surrounding his photography. A national debate on censorship in Australia was caused in 2008 when police raided an exhibit of Henson's photographs in a gallery in Sydney. The series was of a naked 13 year old girl which were found to be sexually exploitive. I am surprised when art can still cause such a controversy among people because within our culture here in the U.S. we are so anesthetized to shock value. I personally do not find the images taken to be shocking or wrong in any way. I do however find shocking the truth that the innocence and “purity” of childhood is becoming so foreshortened in the youth of western culture. Clearly the photographer is drawing our attention to this and I find I cannot look away.
gallery: http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/18/Bill_Henson/
Author of The Henson Case talks about the controversy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuLKF9xOIMo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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