Exploiting Children for Art

An Australian artist is at risk of being prosecuted over photographic works depicting children as young as 12 - 13 in semi-nude poses.  His exhibition no sooner opened recently than the Australian Federal Police closed it down, seized his works and commenced an investigation of the situation with a view to charging him.

What I find interesting is that a number of prominent Australian figures have come out in his support.  Their reasoning:  they don't want Australia's cultural reputation to be devalued!  (See link.)  I wonder where the "privilege" of art stops and the laws that apply to everyone else start.  If it's OK to exploit children for the sake of art by photographing them semi-nude and then letting the general public gawk at them, would it be OK to emblazon them with tattoos and photograph them?  Would it be OK to carve artistic images in their skin with a knife?  Would it be OK to photograph dead children?  The reasoning of those in support can't be given any credibility and I'm surprised that such prominent figures would want to be connected with this kind of work in any way. 

The law has deemed children younger than 16 or 17 (depending on which State we're talking about) to be too young to be able to consent to sex acts.  The reason for this is their sexual vulnerability during their young teen years.  Even if they think they are consenting to sex, there are so many factors involved, especially when the other party is an adult, that the law has decided the matter once and for all.  So what is so different from photographing young children and then displaying them for the world to see?  How can a child of 12 or 13 consent to this?  Even if their identities are protected, it makes no difference in my view.  Their bodies are still on show for others to see and someone else has decided that this constitutes "art".  There are 2 worrying things about this:  one is that someone could think of the idea in the first place and have no internal indicator that tells him it's not an appropriate expression of his artistic creativity.  The other is that there are people who would find this "art" interesting or palatable and not detestable.

I'm afraid I don't care about the reputation of Australia's art industry when it impinges on the welfare of children.  I fully support the actions of the Australian Federal Police and am thankful that we have a police force with a clear view of what's appropriate and what's not when children's welfare is concerned.