Note to Elton John: never lend your Nan Goldin photos to the Baltic Modern Art gallery. Via The Telegraph:
A photograph by a controversial American artist which is part of Sir Elton John’s private collection has been seized by police from a gallery on suspicion it may have breached child pornography laws.
The image, which featured two young girls one of whom was sitting down with her legs wide apart, was taken by the renowned photographer Nan Goldin.
The shot, from the artist’s Thanksgiving series, was to be exhibited at the Baltic Modern Art gallery, Tyneside, this week along with some of her other work. But the day before it was due to be viewed by the public, police came and removed the image over fears that it might be breaking the law.
It is thought that one of the assistant directors at the centre called in the authorities last Thursday after a private view as he was concerned that the picture could be offensive.
…
A Northumbria police spokesman said yesterday: “The circumstances around who may have been involved in the production of the image and who may have owned it or owns it forms part of the investigation. We attended the Baltic Centre last Thursday at the invitation of the management who were seeking advice about an item for an exhibition prior to it going on public display. This item is being assessed and Northumbria Police, in consultation with the CPS, is investigating the circumstances surrounding it. The incident is ongoing and investigations are now being carried out.”
Investigators are apparently still stuck on one major detail: But is it art?
Dawster
……because if elton john is going to have child pornography, it’s DEFINITELY going to be pictures of little GIRLS.
doit4urlife
Is that Chris Chiompi?
Leland Frances
Poor poor Elton. Will we ever know how many millions the phony humanitarian has pissed away on crap trying to out conspicuosly consume Oprah? A few things pop to mind: the $500,000 he spent on four 18th century Greek statues that turned out to be fakes; the roughly $300,000 he spent on flowers in one 18th month period; the $77,250 a year in property taxes on his Georgia estate, just one of his multiple houses; the $18,000 he spent on flowers for just one night for one of his three 60th birthday parties along with the 1000 bottles of champagne, cost unknown. And, conversely and strangely there’s the $11 million he turned down to televise his wedding ceremony. Any of these amounts would have bought a hell of a lot of AIDS meds.
whywhyzed
Phony humanitarian? How much have you spent on AIDS Leland? And would you prefer he didn’t pay taxes on his Georgia home?
Amazing how people bitch about people who are actually making a difference. In 2006, his charity raised 4.6 million pounds (over $9 million) for AIDS.
I forgot – he’s supposed to live like Mother Theresa… Oh, and he turned down money to televise his wedding? Sounds like he has some integrity to me.