Pondering I

Art and Culture...

I was just looking at my groups page on Facebook today when I saw that a friend of mine had joined a group called "Bill Henson is disgusting, perverted and a creator of child pornography". Now, I can see why people might hold this opinion. His art can border on confronting, but I've never been offended by it myself. I actually hold quite a high opinion of his work, formed when I visited a retrospective held at the Ian Potter Centre, part of the NGV. I actually bought a season ticket to the exhibition, so I was able to visit it several times. I found his work thoughful, sensitive and beautiful. It captured the innocence and inquisitive nature of children, as well as the search for identity and meaning, so integral to adolescence and the journey to adulthood.

I also watched a program dedicated to the discussion of art vs pornography in the wake of the accusations brought against Bill Henson in May of this year. It was aired as part of the Insight program on SBS. I enjoyed the program as it included the opinions of people from all sides of the issue, the artists and curators, the subjects and their parents, and the detractors. They didn't really draw any conclusions, but rather illuminated that it is a very difficult line to draw and that it reflects more on society rather than the art itself.

Why do we feel it so necessary to judge any art that challenges us and what we believe as degrading? I've never viewed Mr Henson's work as exploitative or disgusting, in fact, I've never seen anything of his that shocked or disturbed me. Some of it challenged me, but that is not the same thing. In fact, I believe that our art should challenge us and our beliefs. It is a powerful and appropriate medium for precisely that. Why shouldn't a book, picture, film or song challenge us to see things in a different way? Perhaps they allow us to hear a voice that hasn't been heard, or to view an issue from the other side of the fence. I'm not saying that we should be tolerant to all controversial art. I vividly remember an artwork that depicted a cruifix submerged in urine - this is offensive, to be sure. I don't think that art should shock just for the sake of it, rather it should prompt us to think, rationally and thoughtfully, rather than in heat and anger.

What do you think? Its centainly something to ponder....