Sunday, 11 March 2001
The art world responded in dismay yesterday to news that police had raided the Saatchi Gallery in London and threatened to close down an exhibition that includes photographs of naked children.
The art world responded in dismay yesterday to news that police had raided the Saatchi Gallery in London and threatened to close down an exhibition that includes photographs of naked children.
"I'm all in favour of the police becoming art critics as long as criminals can become magistrates," said Jake Chapman, whose partnership with his brother Dinos has taken the modern art world by storm in recent years. "Art criticism should not be based on the Obscenity Act, which is as melodramatic as its name implies."
Scotland Yard's obscene publications unit has told the gallery to remove pictures by the American artist Tierney Gearon before it next opens on Thursday or face charges. The Crown Prosecution Service believes images of the photographer's children naked on a beach and urinating into snow may contravene child protection legislation.
The gallery does not intend to remove them. Last night artists and critics were unanimous in their condemnation of the raid, and warned that it could create a dangerous precedent that threatened artistic freedoms.
"I am sure they are completely innocent pictures," said Alan Yentob, the BBC's director of drama. "The implication of obscenity has only been made as a consequence of the vice squad going to the gallery in a lumbering way. Have they not got better things to do?"
Photographers had always been fascinated by the innocence of youth, he said. "I was very surprised that that such action should take place in a sophisticated city like London."
David Grobb of Eyestorm, an art dealer specialising in popular editions of work by contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst, agreed that the pictures were "pretty innocent. I'd have thought paedophiles would get more turned on by naturist magazines".
The images came across as "a celebration of family life", said Paul Wombell, director of the Photographers' Gallery in London. "A lot of parents take photographs of their children at this kind of age on holiday and they rarely have clothes on."
Jon Norton, the artist, banker and husband of Mo Mowlam, said: "In society, we need to have the greatest freedom of expression of art. And therefore art should never be constrained, however shocking or disturbing it is to society."
The critic Germaine Greer said the pictures did not represent "anything that other people don't do". They could be misused, she said, but then so could images of the Virgin Mary. "The annoying thing is that all the people who think they are not going to like it will go along to the gallery and make a nuisance of themselves - and the rest of the people who might understand it will probably stay away."
Karen Wright, editor of the magazine Modern Painters, said the CPS would be setting a "dangerous precedent" if it chose to pursue a case. "The masks used in some of the photos transform them into something quite eye-catching and eerie, but I don't think they are obscene or titillating."
Jake Chapman warned against an over-reaction to the actions of "a group of unsophisticated, superstitious police officers. They encourage avant-garde protestations and make it more pleasurable to make more crude art."
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