China Debates Whether Nude Photography Is Art

“Artistic creations must have a bottom line. Did the people who took nude pictures in public ever think about respecting local customs and culture? Dali local Shi Huaiji said that artistic creations must not offend the prevalent social order, nor harm public interests. Our country’s traditional moral values and present social order does not permit nude photography in public areas.”

Art?

A week earlier, a series of images shot from Dali’s Erhai Lake were leaked online featuring a naked woman. The model from the images stated that she posed for own individual and “artistic” project.She claimed that she and her photographer checked the surroundings to ensure no one else was around before they started, It was allegedly the woman’s driver, who secretly took some photos of his own and uploaded them online.
Some observe that once the photos of such nature end up surfacing online, photographers and models would then argue that they were in fact creating art and exercising their creative freedom.

Apparently, such pictorials have become a trend that it has caught the attention of the state-run media. The paper has accused those involved in the trend that they are using “artistic freedom”as an excuse to do as they please. “Some people lack self discipline, responsibility and the ability to judge what is right and wrong…” [scholar] Li Chengwei stated.
Chinese netizens, however, are divided on the subject with some supporting the journalist’s view:
“I really don’t understand, why does nudity equal art?”
“If being naked is art, then everyone is an artist when taking a shower!”
“Porn is porn, don’t equate it with art.”
“What’s the difference [between this] and Japanese AV porn? Even primitive people had the decency to cover up their private parts with leaves.”

In defense of the nude photographers, some commenters fired back at the critics:
“Why do people think being naked is disgusting?”
“Actually, humans are just animals, but they always see themselves as the kings of the land. They shouldn’t be covered up, but blend in with nature. This is true beauty.”
One reader, on the other hand, pointed a finger at Xinhua’s direction for discussing the subject instead of writing about other important topics:
“[Look at how] irresponsible Xinhua is. They don’t care about what actually matters. [For example, there are] typhoons in Fujian province and rivers flooding. Stop hiding them [from the public]!”