MELBOURNE—Now that the furor has finally died down over his photographs of nude children that were seized by the police, Bill Henson has spoken out about the controversy, reports the Australian Associated Press. "It strikes me that beneath the panic and nonsense there was the basic common sense and decency of the vast majority of people," he said.

The Melbourne-based Henson maintains that the 12-year-old girl whose naked photograph was the subject of much debate in the censored show, and her family, are strong supporters of his work. "They see their involvement in the work as a good thing, a positive thing," he said. He added that he has been taking similar photographs for 30 years, and he is used to asking parents whether they would allow their children to participate.

The mother of the 12-year-old girl reinforced Henson's statement, saying of the photographs, "I was absolutely in awe of those first proof images and the detail that was captured. He then showed us one blown-up picture...it was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes."

Henson admitted that his image choice for the flyer for the Syndey exhibition at Roslyn Oxley9 gallery, an almost full-length nude, was a mistake.

Speaking on whether the incident says something about Australia's relationship to the arts, he commented: "Perhaps we are a little more prone to it as far as the arts are concerned. At times I think Western culture has a tenuous grasp on this continent. It's like the topsoil, very easily blown away."