Raid on naked-photo exhibition sparks debate over censorship

Sydney

Australians abhor 'wowsers'. For those not familiar with the term, the dictionary defines a wowser as 'a prudish teetotaller; killjoy' or, in general parlance, someone who gets their knickers in a knot about drinking, bad language and sex.

Sydneysiders, in particular, delight in their image as amoral narcissists cavorting on the beach. But this cosy piece of self-deception came crashing to a halt when the New South Wales vice squad raided the opening of an art exhibition in Paddington last Thursday.

The exhibition featured 41 works by photographer Bill Henson. The subject matter? Adolescent boys and girls portrayed, according to one breathless report, in 'a variety of provocative poses'.

Police seized a number of photographs and made for the door - the scene was later lampooned in a newspaper cartoon, showing a buff policeman (naked apart from a peaked hat) trying to carry a large canvas while protecting his genitalia.

Authorities have indicated that both Henson and the gallery owners could be charged under a clause in the Crimes Act that prohibits 'the production, dissemination and possession of child pornography'. If found guilty, one of Australia's most revered artists could be jailed for up to 10 years, while the gallery owners could be sent to prison for five years.

Apart from the indignity of the raid, the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery has received anonymous threats of violence and a public berating from self-appointed moral guardians such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who called the images 'absolutely revolting', and the state's premier, Morris Iemma, and opposition leader Barry O'Farrell.