Ken wrote about what Andrew said (I maintain strict ethical protocols at
all times I'll have you know!)
> Based on some of the comments regarding this, I get the feeling that
some
> people don't "get it" regarding this style of photography and the
ethical
> practices involved. Even discussing it in the way we've been discussing
it
> is not a good thing for Andrew as he needs to separate himself from this
> type of conversation.
> AG
Andrew is rightly concerned. Australian attitudes to such matters of art
are hypocritical to say the least. One does not have to go far in
Australian society to find extreme laxness in sexual and moral ethics and I
imagine that most Australians know this ( I hasten to add that Australia
does not have this on its own). Public nudity (or near nudity) seems to be
common at least on Sydney beaches.
Yet, when it comes to "Art", especially photographic art, even the Prime
Minister ( = the President in the USA) goes public in a very loud manner,
proclaiming that some art (involving female nudity even in quite chaste
style) is very offensive to Australian morals. In my opinion this is plain
(what we call in NZ) heifer-dust. ( = B**l S**t ).
I'm not at my own computer as I write this, so I have to rely on memory
and can not refer to saved files, but think that the most recent
photographer was a very well known (in Australia) and very successful
photographer named Benson. The instance in question was his very tasteful
portrait of a nude 12-year-old girl seated on rocks at the seashore, taken
and displayed with the full agreement and permission of the girl concerned,
AND her parents. The Prime Minister of Australia went ballistic, with his
words making headlines in the major newspapers. (I don't watch TV, but I
wouldn't be surprised if he went public there as well).
Apparently it is OK to wander around the streets wearing clothes ( or
nearly wearing clothes) that leave nothing to the imagination, but dare to
use a camera to create an artistic composition of the human body - and all
hell breaks loose.
I have one female friend in NZ who has the same attitude about the very
successful woman photographer (again my memory fails me, as I have not seen
this person's work for many months) who photographs only babies, and
creates beautiful calendars and other printed works. My friend would have
this photographer hung, drawn, and quartered, for her "abuse of children in
a manner akin to pornography and without their permission".
Such people would totally deny photographers any right to create these
sorts of photograph.
A similar set of circumstances to the recently discussed Burlington
Vermont affair.
With such attitudes prevailing in high places, Andrew SHOULD protect his
reputation openly by stating the rules he applies to his art photography
ethics.
Brian Swale
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