Sydney  -  Australian police acting on a complaint of child pornography being passed off as art Thursday closed down a photographic display featuring nude shots of girls aged 12 and 13.

The exhibition, which was reviewed in Australia's largest-circulation newspaper, drew the ire of child protection agencies that claimed it was child pornography masquerading as art.

"Police have spoken to the photographer and gallery owners," Superintendent Allan Sicard told reporters outside the gallery. "As a result of this conversation, all parties have agreed the exhibition will be temporarily closed to allow further inquiries to be made."

Hetty Johnston, executive director of child sexual assault action group Bravehearts, urged police to charge photographer Bill Henson and the gallery displaying his photographs.

"It's child exploitation, it's criminal activity and it should be prosecuted," Johnston told Australia's AAP news agency. "They are clearly illegal child pornography images. It's not about art at all. It's a crime and I hope they are prosecuted."

Henson was unapologetic about his photographs, saying that the parents of his subjects agreed to have their children appear topless for the delectation of the paying public.

"Kids of this age, they seem to, as all those clichés go, be half in childhood and half in the adult world," Henson told The Sydney Morning Herald. "They're at a point where there is an exponential change, both psychologically and physically taking place, and this all kind of creates a floating world of expectation and uncertainty." (dpa)