Tuesday 2 April 2013

Ovenden - Like A Lamb To The Slaughter, Never Stood A Chance

April, 2013

Child photography vs pornography

"I am gobsmacked and bitterly disappointed that a police force which is far better than the one I joined all those years ago and far better educated, still fails to see when it has been ambushed by the purse-lipped paragons of public morality, those zealots who can’t separate nudity from sexuality … Let’s face it: most police would not know their Ansel Adams from their elbow.

Which is understandable. Most painters, photographers and writers would not know law enforcement from their elbows. What happened to me was not the fault of police. After the Henson case, there were recommendations to create a body of experts from both sides of this grand divide. The government ignored them. All that is needed are some art-savvy police – people who know the difference between child photography and pornography, between innocence and intent. Otherwise anyone might expect that knock on the door."

http://www.themonthly.com.au/essay/2013/04/02/1364873806/joe-dolce/child-photography-vs-pornography 

2 April 2013 Last updated at 15:29

Artist Graham Ovenden guilty of indecency charges

"Graham Ovenden's art works have been exhibited across the globe

A well-known artist from Cornwall has been found guilty of indecency against young girls.

Graham Ovenden denied the charges, which dated back about 40 years and were said to have occurred in London and Cornwall.

During the trial at Truro Crown Court the jury was shown examples of the 70-year-old's work, much of it involving children.

Ovenden was convicted on six counts of indecency and one of indecent assault.

He was cleared on three counts of indecency and two of indecent assault.

'Witch-hunt'

Ovenden, of  Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, was not present in court, having been taken ill last week.

Judge Graham Cottle released Ovenden on bail and adjourned sentencing for a date to be fixed at Plymouth Crown Court.

A former pupil under Sir Peter Blake, Ovenden has had work exhibited in galleries across the globe.

He had denied all the charges relating to four children - now all adults - between 1972 and 1985."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21950579

26 March 2013 Last updated at 14:31

Artist Graham Ovenden's indecency case jury retires

"The court heard that the charges relate to four claimants, who contacted police long after the abuse is alleged to have taken place, and only when they realised exactly what had happened to them as girls.

Mr Ovenden denied the abuse ever happened. He told the court in Cornwall he had taken pictures of children including those in various states of undress but said they were not indecent.

Before sending the jury out, Judge Graham Cottle told them to consider every aspect of the case, including the complainants, who the defence team said may have spoken about their testimonies with each other before appearing in the witness box.

The judge said: "Are the complainants independent of each other? Have they come up with similar but false complaints?

"Have they been affected by someone to make similar but false claims? If you're sure there's no realistic possibility they put their heads together, the evidence of each is capable of supporting the evidence of the other."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21943329

Graham Ovenden lived in rambling rural idyll with a dark side

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/02/graham-ovenden-idyll-dark-side

Graham Ovenden: Art arguments provide no mitigation in abuse case

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21899695

How the art world turned a blind eye to a paedophile [sic]: Painter defended by the establishment is convicted of indecency against young girls

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302849/Graham-Ovenden-How-art-world-turned-blind-eye-paedophile.html

Written in stone

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2006/jul/22/art.art

Tate removes Graham Ovenden prints after indecency conviction 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/apr/03/tate-removes-graham-ovenden-prints 

Police are the only art critics who count

http://tomocarroll.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/police-are-the-only-art-critics-who-count/

Art and Moral Taint

http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2013/04/art-and-moral-taint/

*****

Artist On Trial

http://artist-on-trial.blogspot.co.uk

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