:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Tuesday 27 May 2008 ::

Obsessions: Bill Henson: A Documentary

On the ABC tonight. Lovely.

"Profoundly ambiguous yet absolutely focussed at the same time". Henson describing his work. Two concepts that make no sense even in contrast. Clear arts blather. Come on Bill - hoping for more from you.

"Contrast of squalor....strange ambiguity,...huge resonances... ." Edmund Capon. Again with the untenable matching of concepts.

Nice picture of a road being shown now.

But people see roads a lot. If every blink is a photo, who needs a $30k Henson to show them something they already live. Still, good to see an image without nudity. Cos here comes the nudity. Teenage boy drinking with a chubby. Who on earth but a Thailand-visiting pederast would want to buy a shot like that? Ack. Gimme the pic o' the road. Please.

"One foot in the world of childhood and one in the adulthood produces a certain uneasiness that I find interesting". Henson, not mentioning the need for nudity.

"There's a tension, blah blah, blah". Edmund Capon again. They're nude Edmund. And they're underage. Just please notice that and comment on it. Explain why it is art.

Oh, now some underage getting-it-on pic, nude or very nearly. Please, more road, Bill.

"I do not think about art history when I make my pictures at all. Critics bring their own prejudices to my work, not me." Henson.

"There is something classic about his work. These are hugely and profoundly considered. There are certain resonances about twilight and mood in historical paintings which are echoed in his work." Edmund. No.

"It's hard to know what stirs people up... well, maybe it's easy to know in some cases". Henson obliquely acknowledging the fact his patrons get hard looking at his nudie pics.

"Some people might find the imagery offensive at times. That are images of despoliation and abuse but they have wondereful sensual baroque exociticism at the same time." Edmund Capon gymnastically attempting to avoid obliquely acknowledging the fact the kids are nude and viewers get chubby looking at the nudie pics.

Lord, it is just not enough to say "baroque" and "profound" and "decay" and "adolescence" and "exotic" and "it-is-beyond-photography".

Quite frankly, Henson is a way better man than his fan, Edmund Capon. And better than Phat Phil Adams, see post below. He takes a great pic of a road. And for that I am okay with him.

I don't advocate banning his nudie pics. But I do say go crazy with the mockery and the harassment and investigation. Let him defend his art. He should. In some of his pics the kids are nude. They're nude.

Nude.
:: WB 5:02 am [link+] ::