I’ve just picked up from Amy Stein’s blog (where she reproduces the supposedly/potentially offensive art work so you can see and judge for yourself) the link to an article in the Telegraph about this story.
So, if the authorities do decide that the Nan Goldin image in question contravenes child pornography laws, will Sir Elton be arrested for owning in?
How can other artists, like the Chapman brothers for example, exhibit things like figurative sculptures of naked children with penis’ in the places of noses etc, while a fairly anodine photo by Nan Goldin – anodine by comparison to another image of a naked man wanking, which was left on the wall at Baltic – risks censure?
Or is it all some sort of stupid publicity stunt, given that an unamed member of the gallery’s staff alerted the police the day before the exhibition opened to the public last Friday?
Thanks for all this f:lux. I heard about it minutes before I posted, and have just got back from college. I was hoping someone might post something here. Looks certain we’ll know more in coming days.
EPUK are quoting the Times as saying the photo is ‘Klara and Edda belly dancing”, and some light Googling finds that it’s in the Devil’s Playground collection.
I picked up the Goldin/Armstrong collaboration ‘A Double Life’ in the college library today. There are several photos in there that some gallery owner in an extra-ordinary fit of insecurity, might want a second opinon on from the local plod.
In an expression of Fair Use and journalistic freedom, I might scan a couple in and post them later.
6 Comments
Well that’s weird. Why did Baltic management wait until the day of the private view to contact the police?
I’ve just picked up from Amy Stein’s blog (where she reproduces the supposedly/potentially offensive art work so you can see and judge for yourself) the link to an article in the Telegraph about this story.
http://amysteinphoto.blogspot.com/2007/09/nan-goldin-art-porn-seized-by-police.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/25/nbaltic125.xml
So, if the authorities do decide that the Nan Goldin image in question contravenes child pornography laws, will Sir Elton be arrested for owning in?
How can other artists, like the Chapman brothers for example, exhibit things like figurative sculptures of naked children with penis’ in the places of noses etc, while a fairly anodine photo by Nan Goldin – anodine by comparison to another image of a naked man wanking, which was left on the wall at Baltic – risks censure?
Or is it all some sort of stupid publicity stunt, given that an unamed member of the gallery’s staff alerted the police the day before the exhibition opened to the public last Friday?
P.S. the pic posted chez Amy Stein isn’t the image in question (at least, she doesn’t know for certain that it is).
Thanks for all this f:lux. I heard about it minutes before I posted, and have just got back from college. I was hoping someone might post something here. Looks certain we’ll know more in coming days.
If anyone has any info, please give! Thanks.
EPUK are quoting the Times as saying the photo is ‘Klara and Edda belly dancing”, and some light Googling finds that it’s in the Devil’s Playground collection.
I picked up the Goldin/Armstrong collaboration ‘A Double Life’ in the college library today. There are several photos in there that some gallery owner in an extra-ordinary fit of insecurity, might want a second opinon on from the local plod.
In an expression of Fair Use and journalistic freedom, I might scan a couple in and post them later.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Elton-John.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin