Get Henson out of the schoolyard

IF you ever needed a reminder that some inhabitants of our artistic community are clueless about the concerns of the broader Australian community, it comes in David Marr's defence of Bill Henson.

We have now learnt from Marr’s new book - The Henson Case - that the photographer who caused an uproar over his nude photographs of prepubescent children scoured school playgrounds to search for young models.

It makes no difference that a principal was in tow as Henson searched the playground. It makes it worse. It suggests that someone entrusted to protect children condoned and helped Henson in his search for his next naked model.

If Marr’s aim in writing a book about Henson was to repair the photographer’s reputation, he has failed. Indeed, he only manages to further tarnish Henson’s reputation by recounting how the photographer finds some of his models: “I went in there ( the schoolyard), had a look around at lunchtime, just wandered around while everyone was having their lunch.

I saw this boy, and I saw this girl too actually, and I thought they would be great and the principal said, ‘Fine, I will give the parents a ring and let you know’.”

No doubt, both Marr and Henson are oblivious to the natural concerns of parents over these revelations about But then, both author and subject – like many within the arts community - never understood the original unease that Henson’s photographs raised in the wider community.

Marr writes that we must “keep our bearings in this furore” over Henson’s photographs of naked children. He says that we cannot ignore the fact that children who strip off for Henson’s photographs “want to do it.” Marr is obviously not a parent. Most parents understand that what children want and what is good for them are different matters.

Marr presses the message that non-artistes don’t understand how the artistic community works. Put it down to ignorance in suburbia, the pseudo-intellectuals say.

 In fact, we do understand. And the more we hear of how it works, the more we understand and the less we like it. Just as we debated standards of decency during the original Henson controversy, an engaged and thoughtful society can now say that Henson’s search for models in the schoolyard crosses a line that must not be crossed.

 That is not ignorance. The essence of civil society is surely to put the interests of children ahead of the interests of artists.

One would think that teachers would do the same. Alas, Maree O’Halloran, the outgoing president of the NSW Teachers’ Federation, says it is a complex issue.

No it’s not complex. It’s simple. Do I want a man wandering around the playground of my child’s school to search for a child that he wants to strip and photograph for his art? No. End of story.

Marr’s attempt to salvage Henson’s reputation has only served as a powerful reminder of the constant disconnect between the pseudo-intellectuals and the rest of society.