Roslyn Oxey9 Gallery in Paddington.

The police responded to a number of complaints made to their office, which expressed concern about a certain photo, wherein a 13-year-old girl was photographed naked—budding breasts showing and one hand covering her private part.

The seizure of Bill’s photographs elicited very strong reactions from two different camps: the ones who claim to protect art from “censorship,” and the ones who tried to bring attention to graver concerns, like a parent’s responsibility to the child, and the protection of children from this kind of abuse.

Hetty Johnson, from the group Bravehearts (an organization that advocates for victims of child sexual abuse), was among those…

The age-old debate of what is art—and what works could be considered “art”—is as alive today as it was decades ago, as the controversy surrounding Australian “art” photographer Bill Henson’s works proves.

Bill’s works are often presented in diptychs or triptychs, and his photos commonly use dark, ambiguous lighting and contrast. But these qualities aren’t what made his works famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it), but rather, his choice of models and how they are portrayed in his photos.

Men. Women. The relationship between them. Childhood, adulthood. These topics are what most of Bill’s works revolve around. His photos have been praised by many art critics and publications and have been exhibited in various international galleries for over more than 20 years.

But in the past year, Bill’s work has been at the center of much hoopla and has been the cause of many debates and much buzz in the several artists’ circles. A certain photo…