Art magazine uses naked child on front cover

An Australian Art Magazine has published a young naked girl on the front cover of its July issue to reignite the debate about children in art.

In May a Sydney exhibition by photographer Bill Henson was shut down because it featured photos of a naked 13-year-old girl.

The editor of Art Monthly Australia Maurice O'Riordan says he hopes to validate nudity and childhood as subjects for art.

But the New South Wales Minister for Community Services Kevin Green says the images are distasteful and inappropriate.

"We've now reached a sad point where naked six-year-olds are being used to make some sort of artistic comment," he said.

"It's totally inappropriate in any sense to be using naked six-year-olds on the front cover of any magazine whether it's an art magazine or a general magazine."