Thursday, May 22, 2008

Exhibitionist

I scored an invite to the opening of an exhibition of new works by Aussie photographer Bill Henson tonight, courtesy of my friend James. I'm really excited because I'm quite an admirer of Henson's dark, enigmatic works.




Photo by Bill Henson



Lots has been written about Henson's work, about his beautiful adolescents in dark, dreamlike, sometimes disturbing settings. Every time I look at his works I see something different. Sometimes they seem vapid, like advertising pics that have taken a darker turn. Sometimes they seem like a commentary on the cult of youth and beauty. I guess that's part of Henson's appeal, the thought provoking nature of his works. I haven't seen anything about this new exhibition but I'm keen to see if he has taken a new direction. Whichever, I'm sure it'll be thought provoking.

5 comments:

Mindy said...

Apparently the photo of a naked pre-pubescent girl are causing a bit of a stir in some circles. I would be interested to hear your take on it, as a photographer.

Mindy said...

It was Miranda Devine who was causing a ruckus. Puts a whole new light on things.

The Other Andrew said...

Miranda Devine is always causing some sort of ruckus...

worldpeace and a speedboat said...

that woman - I don't even want to type her name - really pisses me off.

but I do feel quite conflicted about Henson.

I just read that the exhibit was closed down before it had a chance to open - do spill the beans!

worldpeace and a speedboat said...

ps - link -

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080522/2/16yui.html