The classification of morality in art
Censorship and the art world could be at odds once again. Submissions to a Federal inquiry have called for new classification laws that could force artists to have their artworks classified before being publicly displayed. This could potentially mean the banning of any artwork containing full-frontal nudity, and the restriction of all artworks to certain age groups. The Senate inquiry on the film and literature classification scheme was launched by Senator Guy Barnett. He says that the inquiry is not yet finished, but concerns have been raised from both sides about the classification of artworks. Groups from across the Australian art scene have raised concerns about the expense of classification and the consideration of ‘artistic merit’ in works of art.