Police removed works by well-known collage artist Paul Yore’s Everything is Fucked installation at a St Kilda gallery in Melbourne on the weekend, after claims the art amounted to child pornography. No charges have yet been laid, although Yore was interviewed by Victoria Police on Monday and released pending a court summons. If charged and found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison for producing and possessing child pornography. But did the tip-off to police come from someone with an agenda?
The motivation behind the Victorian Police raid on the Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts is becoming clearer with more research. The Victorian Police are not in the habit of visiting art galleries looking for child pornography, but they are too easily manipulated to do just that by conservative wannabe politicians.
On May 28, Adrian Jackson, who had ties with the Liberal Party, and Chris Spillane, a Liberal Party candidate for the local council, were at Port Phillip City Council meeting along with councillor Andrew Bond. Bond, an independent and a former church youth group leader, has called the exhibition “obscene” and compared it to hardcore pornography.
Spillane and Jackson are both controversial local figures, with Spillane previously branding multiculturalism a “waste of money” and “failed dogma” and Jackson an ex-Australian Army wannabe politician who has stood for office as an independent candidate and runs a local B&B that bans Israeli guests. Given their backgrounds, Jackson and Spillane don’t appear to be the usual gallery visitors.
These three people were the only people complaining about the exhibition in an article in local newspaper The Leader. In council’s public question time Spillane’s agenda is made clear in the minutes of the meeting:
“Chris Spillane asked about a current art exhibition at the Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts in St Kilda. He stated that while he hasn’t seen the exhibition himself, from what he has heard about the exhibition it is offensive and pornographic in nature. He suggested that the exhibition should be shut down or at the very least there should be more appropriate signage warning of the contents, age restrictions in place, and this section of the gallery should be cordoned off. He asked, as sponsors of the gallery, what action the Council intends to take?
“Mayor Amanda Stevens responded that the gallery is run by an independent board and that there is already appropriate signing regarding the exhibition in question in place.”
Meanwhile, Jackson’s agenda become apparent in a comment that he appears to have made online at The Leader. Posted at 7:31pm on June 2, it states:
“Mission accomplished — the kiddy art exhibition is now closed. Next step is getting the Linden Gallery to be self funding instead of behaving like a parasite on ratepayers. Currently $100,000 PA is spent by Port Phillip Council on maintenance and equipment in the Linden which has been a ratepayer owned building for the last 25 years or so. This money does not appear in the Linden’s annual Statement of Affairs (see their website) as far as I can see but what is included is about $250,000 PA in ratepayer funds in ‘operating cost’. All this for six or seven exhibitions per year involving about six artists per exhibition. The large post card exhibition could be moved to the town hall and the Linden closed if it cant be self funded. Other galleries in Port Phillip can fund themselves so why cant the Linden committee. I understand that this years exhibition was probably organised last years before the current new committee member joined it.”
This story is more about the ambitions of certain people involved in local politics creating a controversy to be noticed and Victoria Police being unable to learn from the experiences of their NSW counterparts with the raids on Bill Henson and Juan Davila’s exhibitions. This is yet another sorry and pathetic part in the story of Australian censorship.
The gallery, St Kilda’s Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts, is one of Melbourne’s oldest council-funded art galleries and has a reputation for quality exhibitions. It is well known for its annual postcard exhibition. I have no doubt that the curatorial team had appropriate warnings (warnings are so commonplace now in exhibitions). Sue Foley, the chair of the Linden board, released a statement this morning saying: “The centre is concerned about the nature of the allegations made against Mr Yore, however it continues to support freedom of expression that has artistic merit.” Foley added that the exhibit remains closed and the gallery has fully co-operated with police.
The artist Yore won the $8000 Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award 2013. Last year he was exhibited at the NGV’s Atrium at Federation Square. There is an interview with him from last year, along with un-pixelated photographs of his art in Desktop. The photo below comes from his recent exhibition at Melbourne’s The Substation gallery in Newport and is believed to be very similar to his current installation:
Linden’s exhibition, Like Mike, is a homage to Australian artist Mike Brown and opened on May 17. The curators of the exhibition are Jan Duffy and Geoff Newton. Duffy is an experienced curator as is Newton, who is well known as the director of Neon Parc gallery. Newton, from my knowledge of him and his work, is a man who seriously wants to advance art.
In an interview about the current exhibition, Yore describes his installation:
“It has a sickly sweet surface, it is very colourful and alluring. But then there are deeper things sitting just beneath the surface of the work that talk to more symbolic ideas, [that] relate to socety as a society of excess, spectacle, consumerism, of frenzy and even violence as well. There’s a darkness underneath the work that is kind of sarcasticly pointed to through the bright joyful aspects of the work. I see the work very much as a celebration of queer culture. There’s a lot of phallocentric imagery … I guess I wanted to talk about the phallocentric nature of our culture as well.”
Police may be investigating Yore, but detectives and the mainstream media have yet to examine the conservative political agenda behind the complaint.
*This is an edited version of two posts that originally appeared on Black Mark.
16 thoughts on “Child porn — or art censorship by wannabe Tory pollies?”
Venise Alstergren
June 5, 2013 at 5:12 pmHa! If Adrian Jackson, Chris Spillane and Andrew Bond want to go out to find obscenity-as only a religionist can, they need look no further than the ultimate obscenity…The priests of the Catholic church who have been sodomising small children for the past two thousand years.
To actually go into art galleries searching for it is fatuous, farcical, and indicative of their tiny minds.
Pray tell good sirs; when was the last time a small child volunteered to wander into private art gallery?
Adrian Jackson
June 6, 2013 at 8:55 pmActually Mark Holdsworth the council meeting of 12 Mar 13 is relevant one as the meeting of 28 May 13 does not record any comment by me about the Linden Gallery or the kiddy porn issue.
In relation to the Liberal Party I was a member from about August 1994-June 2003. I have been out of the Liberals longer now, 10 years, that the 9 years I was in it.
I was suspended from the Liberal in June 2003 for 12 months for opposing the Iraq war invasion and got on Ch 10 news and ABC radio on invasion day. I banned US and Israel citizens from my B&B because of Iraq and the oppression of the Palestinians by Israel – a noble stand. I never rejoined the Liberals.
I lifted the US ban after Obama withdrew his Army from Iraq however the ban on Israeli still stands however I have never has a booking request from Israel but I have has a nice Aussie Jew as a guest a few years ago. It not a Jewish thing.
Actually I am in the habit of visiting art galleries sonny boy. Recently I have visited the NGV for Monet, Dutch Master, French Impressionists, Vienna Art & Design, Britain in the 60 and Napoleon.
I plan to visit every exhibition of the Linden Gallery this year something I told all 3 St Kilda councillors before the now close exhibition opened. So Mark do a bit of research boy.
Interesting the twitter chatter has gone silent, only one small letter in The Age and only one comment (now 2) on Crikey.
My number is 9534 7615 for future reference and it is in the phone book.
Adrian Jackson
June 6, 2013 at 9:06 pmI only met Chris Spillane for the first time at the council meeting on 28 May 13 although I knew he stood in Carlisle Ward in last years council election. I had never heard of Andrew Bond until he was a candidate in Junction Ward and won.
He is the first Liberal on Port Phillip Council since amalgamation in 1994. The balance of power has also shifted with 3 Unchain Inc and 3 CAPP/ALP councillors elected.
Mark have you actually seen the kiddy porn exhibition? None of the commentators in the press have either. Lots of armchair generals out there. Its a bit like the armchair general in the Commonwealth Parliament who would not know anything about war let alone victory.
Adrian Jackson
June 6, 2013 at 9:18 pmI have also made my views know about the Roman Catholic church pedophile issue to the print media, on blogs and to my local MP’s who happen to be chairing the Victoria Government inquiry and as a member (Crozier and Coote).
The inquiry must be ruthless with the vile priests involved, compensation must be paid to victims while Pell and Hart should be gaoled as they should have known what was going on at least in the last 20 or 30 years.
A fitting symbolic punishment would be the demolishing of St Patrick’s cathedral and the blue stone used to renew Melbourne gutters. From the gutter to the gutter so to speak.
Venise Alstergren
June 7, 2013 at 2:50 pmWhile agreeing with your comment (4) I note the gallery in St Kilda is now closed, leaving it impossible for the public to view the work. Meanwhile one, of your unholy trio, took three visits to be sure his hackles were outraged!
Adrian Jackson
June 7, 2013 at 6:14 pmI did not close the Linden; the Board of Management did. They could have removed or closed off the kiddy porn exhibition and left the other 3 & 1/2 rooms open but they didn’t. Its a poke little gallery with not much hanging space but it swallows up over $300,000 PA in ratepayers funds. The Linden was open from 17 May to about 31 May so you have plenty of time to visit it if you really wanted too.
I am probably the only “unholy” person as I am an atheist like the many on Albert Park, Middle Park and West St Kilda (ABS: 2011). The no religion group are the largest in those suburbs although not a majority yet
I did not know any of the new councillors until they were elected and then only at council meeting. I only met Chris Spillane for the first time on 28 May 13 at a council meeting when we both separately spoke about the federal referendum on local government. Chris Spillane spoke on the Linden issue too.
Yes I visited the gallery 3 times. The first was on 18 May 13 the day after the exhibition opened. There were no adults only sign displayed then and on that visit I only walked around the artists installation and did not venture into the grotto as I though it was not allowed. A few days later I was told about the contents of the grotto and checked it out in a 2nd visit and was disgusted and so I rang St Kilda police and asked them “to have a look at it”.
Last Friday (31 May 13) my sister was visiting me and I told her about the grotto and suggested she come with me to view it to get another opinion. She to was disgusted and filled in the Linden survey form to that effect. That was the 3rd visit.
The letter in The Age today (07 Jun 13) from Anne Stapleton, West St Kilda, has been replied to so my reply should be published tomorrow or soon.
Katie Jacobs
June 7, 2013 at 10:46 pmI think demolishing St Patrick’s cathedral is a strange solution to child abuse in the church. The church itself is a symbolic object, and not necessarily representative of Pell and Hart specifically (or child abuse in the church generally). But it does sound like the symbolic and understanding the aesthetic is somewhat difficult for you Mr Jackson. I think for people to decide if something is offensive, it needs to be brought into the open and commented on. It seems like you decided for yourself and then got the police involved. I would argue that the police are not the first people I’d go to help you understand art work. Artists and art academics and gallerists are great people to ask about art if you don’t understand the themes or the sentiment. Art is generally made to ask questions about society, and provoke a conversation. This is often a conversation business or government or science is not willing to start. It can get ugly!
Adrian Jackson
June 8, 2013 at 1:24 pmThe next Port Phillip Council meeting is on Tuesday 11 Jun 13 at 6pm at South Melbourne Town Hall (not St Kilda Town Hall). They rotate them through the 3 town hall buildings. The council plan and budget for 2013/14 are an agenda item. This means funding for various organisations within Port Phillip.
Adrian Jackson
June 11, 2013 at 8:45 amKatie Jacobs yes Roman Catholic Church building are symbolic so that is why an example has to be made of one of its key buildings. St Mary’s in Sydney should go too.
As for misguided artists enough said already here on Crikey, as well as the six, yes 6, stories on it in The Age in one week, other that any suspected criminal behaviour should be reported to police by any citizen and they will decide what is to be done in accordance with the laws that our elected representative pass as legislation. So its more that me deciding for myself.
I told a drunk in a No 96 tram to St Kilda (yeap same undisciplined suburb as the Linden Gallery) not to light up a cigarette last year too. What would you do; just sit there and do nothing I wonder.
Venise Alstergren
June 11, 2013 at 1:44 pmADRIAN JACKSON: I am a dedicated Atheist but to suggest destroying a building achieves nothing. A) Australian cities have had the guts ripped out of them by greedy politicians and developers. B) To sacrifice a building in the name of religion would reduce us to the level of the original Christians who set about destroying the tombs and buildings of ancient Egypt. Grow up.