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Child model`s mother backs `intimate` pics

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THE mother of one of Bill Henson`s under-age models has charged to the controversial photographer`s defence.

Kerryn, whose daughter Lizzie posed in non-naked photos for Henson as a 12-year-old said it was his "prurient" critics who were damaging the young models, not Henson.

The teenagers she knew who had posed for him had grown into accomplished, well-adjusted adults, she said.

Emma De Clario, 36, a Melbourne artist and actor, yesterday said she had agreed to allow her 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old son to sit naked for Henson, though it had not been able to proceed.

Naked artistic photos of children were not pornography but natural intimacy, she said.

"It is the people who view our children as sexual objects that must be taken to task."

Model mum Kerryn said she had been present at each of the photo shoots of her daughter, Lizzie.

Lizzie, now 19, had eagerly attended the sessions from the ages of 12 to 15, she said.

Another girl, who was 13 when she posed nude for Henson photographs, has been identified but has declined to speak to police investigators.

It is understood police have been contacted by a lawyer acting for the girl - believed to be from Victoria - and she wants no part in the inquiry.

It not known how old she is now.

Police had hoped to speak to her and her parents to determine what level of parental permission was granted when she posed for the shoot.

Yesterday, key figures remained deeply divided on the photographs:

A KEY Victorian arts bureaucrat said aspects of Henson`s work depicted middle-aged male fantasy.

SENIOR Liberal Malcolm Turnbull split with party leader Brendan Nelson on the issue, saying police should not be "invading art galleries".

THE National Gallery in Canberra confirmed police were investigating several Henson photographs in its collection.

VICTORIA Arts Minister Lynne Kosky said galleries should be independent of government, and she would not be telling local galleries if they could hang Henson`s work.

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd said he was "passionate about children having their innocence in childhood", and stood by his comment that the nude works were "absolutely revolting".

A MELBOURNE mother who arranged for her pre-teen children to be photographed naked said she believed there was nothing pornographic or indecent about his work.

Regional Arts Victoria director Lindy Allen, one of the few art voices to criticise Henson, said she had been concerned for some time about the artistic merit of Henson`s work with naked teenagers.

She said in his latest show he "seems to have dropped all artifice . . . she`s totally the object of middle-aged male fantasy".

But she said police censorship was not the answer, and "we should all be permitted to make up our own minds".

Mr Turnbull, who owns two of Henson`s (non-naked) works, said he did not believe it was the vice squad`s job to go into art galleries.

He said he was not expressing an opinion on the works at the centre of the controversy.

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