NAKED images of a teenage girl taken by the photographer at the centre of a child pornography scandal were pulled from display at the Albury Regional Art Gallery on Friday night.
The move came as police prepared to lay charges after more than 20 Bill Henson photographs, labelled “absolutely revolting” by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, were seized from Sydney’s Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery.
Henson’s untitled TCM 85/85 photographs are part of the permanent collection at the Albury gallery.
The two black-and-white prints had been on display yesterday as part of the Proof of Age exhibit, exploring the attitudes, culture and style of 21st century youth.
But Albury Council community and recreation group manager James Jenkins said last night it seemed “prudent” to remove the photographs in light of the police investigation in Sydney.
“The Albury images, which were taken in 1985, were purchased two years ago from the original model featured in the photographs,” he said.
“The decision to purchase them was based on the calibre of the artist, who is regarded as one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists and is internationally respected.
“Works similar to these are in many major public gallery collections around Australia.”
The two images feature a girl naked and staring at the camera — one face-on, one with her body turned to the side.
The model, now believed to be in her 40s, remains unidentified but is understood to live at Mount Beauty.
A third image — Untitled 1992 — came from Melbourne’s Monash Gallery of Art for the exhibition.
That piece depicts a nude teenage couple embracing next to a wrecked car, with a third young person, a girl, standing naked in the background.
All three have been removed from display until further notice.
Earlier in the day, council exhibitions and programs co-ordinator Jules Boag said the gallery had not received a single complaint about the photographs since the display opened on April 11.
He said he was “surprised” by the furore in Sydney.
“Our exhibition’s had a good response — especially from young people,” he said.
“Henson’s been doing the same work for about 30 years.”
Mr Boag said the Sydney images were stylistically similar to the 1985 images removed in Albury.
But he believed the size difference — with the Albury pieces about 51cm by 61cm and at least one Sydney image measuring 180cm by 127cm — could have affected people’s response to the work, making the models seem more life-like and the images more confronting.
A police spokesman said late yesterday he could not rule out an investigation into the Albury images, despite the initial focus being restricted to the works from the Sydney gallery.
“The NSW Police Force inquiries are at this time focusing on those images posted on the gallery’s website and on display in that gallery,” he said.
“As the investigation is in its infancy, it is too soon to comment on the possible breadth of the investigation.”
The spokesman said any investigation would need to stem from a public complaint about the Albury display.