Mr Hatzistergos said: ”There will be no further artistic purpose defence. It is anomalous to describe something as child abuse material and then to have a defence of artistic purpose. Instead, the definition of child abuse material will take into account the context in which the relevant material was produced or came into existence.”

Instead, artists will have to pay $500 per image to have Commonwealth censors classify each image to ensure they are not prosecuted as child pornographers.

There is still a cultural debate around the issue of nude children in art following the infamous police raid on a Bill Henson photographic exhibition back in 2008.

The artist Polixeni Papapetrou, whose photograph of her six-year-old daughter on the cover of Art Monthly (left) caused a storm last year, criticised the law change yesterday.  ”I think they’re barking up the wrong tree. I really think they should be going after those people who exploit children.

”I don’t know of any artists who exploit children and if they do they should not be protected by any legal defence.”

I agree, but I’m not sure how to best police the issue. Will parents have to start submitting their cute kiddie bath photos to the censors before emailing to relatives? I’m just not sure where it all ends. The censors are supposed to base their decisons on what the ‘average’ person would find offensive, but isn’t it all about context?

In more positive news, yesterday’s law changes mean that witnesses as well as child abuse victims will be able to give evidence by video link and those they accuse will not be allowed to cross-examine them. Now that’s progress.

It’s so fascinating watching children develop their creativity. First come the swirls, then the squiggles and stick figures and before long something resembling photo realism (to a five-year-old).

Now there’s a new way to display your child’s artistic achievements with the CreaLamp by Minui.

About the size of an A4 piece of paper, the lamp works both freestanding and mounted on a wall, in either landscape or portrait mode.

Your child’s drawing, painting is placed between two transparent panels and illuminated via a standard light globe inside the lamp.

It’s $89.95 at The Infant Boutique.

Check out this pink striped crayon apron for your budding artist. It comes with 24 Crayola crayons and a pad of paper. Your little Picasso will get a kick out of this innovative piece that is both sensible (it stores art supplies and shields clothes) and stylish (a full skirt in slimming vertical lines)! One hundred per cent cotton and machine-washable – because little artists are messy creative. It costs $US18 at kookoobearkids.com Make it a special holiday or birthday gift when you personalise the apron with your child’s name for an additional $US10.

$US195 from Art 2 Believe.

This is one of those kid centric items that I dream of obtaining not for my child, but for me. This memory game isn’t just your basic everyday matching game, this is a work of art. The Alexander Girard Memory Game features artwork the iconic artist originally used for his “environmental enrichment panel”. The 72 pieces are made from a “replenishable Michigan-grown, kiln-dried basswood” and the ink is non-toxic and child-safe. And it comes in a gorgeous colourful wood box.

This set was created by the mighty House Industries — their day job is creating stylish fonts that you see each and every day. The best thing about this memory game is its folky beauty. The worst thing? The price. It’s $US320 (plus $US60 international express shipping) and is a limited edition set. You can check it out here.

Artist Daniel Edwards, same dude who did the sculpture of Brit Brit giving birth on a bearskin rug, and the not-so-appealing hot-pink eyesore of Octomom, has now sculpted a likeness (?) of Angelina Jolie breastfeeding her twins, Knox and Vivienne.

Daniel was inspired by Angelina’s 2008 W Magazine cover of her breastfeeding one of the twins. The photo was taken by her partner Brad Pitt for the mag. Edwards hopes his Jolie sculpture will inspire mums to breastfeed their babies.

The details of the piece, titled “Landmark For Breastfeeding” were released Tuesday (August 5) during World Breastfeeding Week, and the statue will be unveiled on September 11 at MainSite, in Norman Okla., near Brad Pitt’s birthplace.

While I don’t have a problem with a woman-breastfeeding statue/sculpture, and it’s awesome if it brings awareness and lets women know it’s okay to breastfeed anywhere, it is a bit odd that it’s Angelina Jolie-inspired and seriously, it doesn’t even look like Angelina Jolie, in my personal opinion.  However, it’s absolutely 10 times better than the Suri Cruise poop sculpture, which I’m not sure what or who that was supposed to inspire?

Do you like it? Think it’s artsy? Creepy? Does it look like Angelina Jolie?

Source

Step out from behind plain old black and white with Hudson Paint’s coloured chalkboard paint. Available in 24 different colours, the low-odour, 100% acrylic paint creates a washable, erasable chalkboard finish over wood, plaster, wallboard, Masonite, medium-density fibreboard, and primed metal. Just be sure to stock up if you’re planning to coat large surfaces: Each one-litre can holds enough paint to lay one coat over a surface roughly the size of an average refrigerator. Anything bigger or thicker, and you’ll need multiple cans to do the job right.

$US24.99 per litre from Hudson Paint.

$US8 from Snew’s (plus $US6.50 shipping to Australia). But hurry, there’s only one set left!

Really, couldn’t they have put up a nice Disney display with Cinderella or Snow White, like a normal mall? We all know that depictions of large-breasted, tiny-waisted beauties do wonders for children’s development.

But no–instead Addison Plaza shopping centre had to display a sculpture by renowned artist Itzik Asher, which depicts a family of either Ethiopian or Russian Jews traveling from their homes to Israel.

This is a great opportunity for parents to discuss the history behind this piece of art. It’s not as if Asher wanted to depict a family enjoying a nude romp for the hell of it–nor is their genitalia the most striking aspect of the piece.

But apparently, some parents would simply rather pretend that the human body does not exist.

“My daughter has been joking about it,” said parent Jeffrey Cohen. “She shouldn’t be talking to me about this.” If that’s your attitude, Mr. Cohen, I have no doubt that your daughter will have no problem keeping you in the dark about her personal life as she gets older.

Photo: seizeart.com

I wanted something unique for a friend’s first pregnancy. Something memorable. But not this…

What is it? Look again… that, my friends, is the moment the baby’s head crowns. And, yes, the curvy lines surrounding what might be mistaken for a nut at first glance represents mom’s vulva (not her vagina).

And it can be yours to wear on your neck in a sweet little choker for years to come! Or, you know, locked in a box somewhere immediately after the baby shower, never to be brought out again.

As a woman who has been through natural childbirth, I’m not grossed out by this. But I am plenty freaked – as I am by all those fertility statues that show women’s cha chas splayed to the world with the baby on its way out.

It’s natural folks, but remember, I’ve been through natural childbirth. It wasn’t beautiful. It was bloody (and for a great percentage of women poopy!) and loud and painful and… should I really go on here? My daughter was the beautiful part of it all. In fact, when my OB/GYN went on and on about the wonders of the placenta and offered me the chance to check it out, I looked him square in the eye and told him very politely, “No offense, but I’m more interested in her,” and turned my head back to the little table where nurses were drying her off, sucking out her airways and getting her ready to be placed in my arms.

So what’s with all the crowing baby art? Are you buying?

Image: DoulaHara (where you can buy this pendant if that’s your thing)