Art and pornography

Here in Australia there has been much debate about the works of an artist who's work has been removed from exhibition from a Sydney gallery. I like many, and in fact I suspect most of the informed commentators on this subject, I have not actually seen any of the artist work in person. So I will not pass any judgment on its content.

I do find a number of thing interesting about the media storm that has followed. Undoubtably many newspapers have sold and many hours of radio and television has been devoted to the subject and many millions of dollars have be made form the coverage of the story.
I find it interesting that the artist has been able to hide this "absolutely disgusting" work, this "pornography", for such a long time. Apparently according to some reports, one of his "poor innocent models" is now in her forties. You do the maths, 13 when the shots were taken, 40 now... been a while. And exactly how did this monster of a man manage to keep this atrocious works from our view and that of the law? Obvious really... you hide them on the walls of art galleries around the world. No one would ever think of looking there.

As a photographer this is an area where I would choose not to go myself. But I don't believe, as has been suggested that the only motivation an artist could possibly have for creating images of the naked human form is sexual. Whether the images are of minors or adult in the nude there are many motivations for creating art images that have nothing to do with sex. Shape, form texture the fall of light, the sheer beauty of the naked form all great reasons to create art images.
Once many moons ago after shooting some art nudes with a beautiful young lady on location, I was packing my gear away, she dressed and walked back to where I was, still buttoning up her
top as she approached. Which is the exact moment I chose to say what I thought. "You look so much sexier with your cloths on." It was the truth but let me just say to all you budding photographers of the nude, not a very wise thing to tell any model. BIG MISTAKE, but you learn from your mistakes.