The village

Today at the coffee shop I heard a story. You all know Bill H the photographer who specializes in photographing pre- pubescent or pubescent children with little bits of cloth around them.

Many years ago I went to see an exhibition of his at a very up market gallery in Richmond. The photographs were very large and expertly printed - I'd say commercially and the tones were very soft and beautiful. They photos were composed like a set from a play, ladders, curtains draped from high and props like crosses and ropes and cushions. This is what I recall anyway. Against this were pubescent, anorexic boys and girls looking extremely wasted lounging, hanging and draped in this backdrop. Some appeared to be dead and was there a boy on a cross? I can't quite remember but all in all the impression I got was that it was border line and decadent. I'd heard he'd hired junkies and kids from the street to take these photos.

The Curator at the National Gallery at this time wouldn't acquire his photos because of there ambiguous nature. He sold his work by truck loads. He became the toast of the jet set. The new curator acquired lots of his work and all over the country curators stocked up on this amazing arty talent not once questioning their dubious nature.

At the time there was a very laissez faire attitude to the sexuality of the young. My daughter got stopped in Chapel St at the age of 14 by Renee E - a very popular genre photographer at the time - asking her to pose for a playboy centre fold. I spoke to him on the phone and he was very defiant. He claimed he didn't know her age. I asked him if he'd mind if someone asked his son to pose for photographs in a gay magazine. Touche. He kept arguing but I think he got the point.
Even on the radio I heard people trying to legitimize the sexual love of children. I remember being frightened and bewildered thinking I was in some kind of nightmare. For me childhood was a very scary place especially when some horrible man had designs on you.

I guess everyone knows about the last scandal about this photographer. He's older than me and still taking photos of children. This time it hit the headlines. People were arguing for and against. The art community was outraged. How dare they interfere with a persons artistic merit and subject matter. This man was no pervert. He had a reason to take these photos- to show the dilemmas children of this age of puberty go through. The Australian Art Council is now drawing up plans for guidelines for artists who portray children.

Meanwhile at the coffee shop I hear that a friends band and all bands who play in a venue in Northcote have to employ an extra person to monitor the decibels of the band or they will be fined and this popular venue may be closed down for all. Youthful and aspiring musicians may lose another venue to play and be heard and become popular.

The irony is ,is that the vexatious complainer who live behind the venue is none other than the famous and notorious photographer of children.