Comments on: The Controversial Act of Taking Pictures of Children

By: Shoshana

Shoshana — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 08:29:39 +0000

I do enjoy the manner in which you have presented this specific issue and it does indeed offer me a lot of fodder
for consideration. On the other hand, because of just what I
have personally seen, I just simply hope when the feed-back pile on that individuals continue to be on issue and
don’t get started on a tirade involving the news du jour. Anyway, thank you for this excellent piece and even though I do not necessarily agree with it in totality, I respect the standpoint.

By: thinkingoutsidethepaintbox

thinkingoutsidethepaintbox — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:04:36 +0000

If made to choose between artistic expression (and a long Western tradition of respected nudity in cherubs) and…even the hint that a child is being sexualized — I would choose to show the child’s soul thru subtleties and not through nudity.

I did some nude studies in art school, but I find that the most revealing and interesting human studies show some of the inner person, not merely genitalia. And…as sexual abuse is a HUGE worldwide problem, I’d rather risk being labeled an art philistine by staying away from child nudity.

Why?

(Maybe it’s the 20th and 21st century’s super visual, constant media barrage of sexual images, our overexposure to nudity and near nudity used to promote a sexual view.to sell products or entertainers thru sex..in our media…that causes too many negative reactions in some of us.)

My Foster parenting training and experiences gives me a hint of the HORRORS some children have endured…which is why some of us will risk overprotecting children…as art is not as important…as the child’s well being.

Why? Because there is a HUGE worldwide problem with human trafficking. Millions of women/girls/children are used and abused as slaves.

There is significant abuse of children. There are too many women/girls who are raped/assaulted.

Unfortunately, the images associated with these might be recalled in peoples’ minds…even by the sincere artist’s work. (Thus even the straight arrow Lewis Carroll’s work creeps some of us out tho there is no record he was doing anything other than fine art photography.)

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:25:53 +0000

I commend you on your courage to discuss this topic. I know a great many people are mystified by the hysterical attitudes about the portrayal of children with the ostensible purpose of protecting them. The aggressive manner in which this is being done is not consistent with the personalities of the kind of people who actually respect children. This development strongly suggests a deeper truth of using children as convenient pawns in some political agenda that in all likelihood has nothing to do with children at all. I have given this some deep thought and know there cannot be any harm in my innocent pleasure in children. In fact, as the weaker members of our species, they need their appealing qualities to temper the aggressive tendecies of others who might do them harm.