Elton John says owns seized photograph

Entertainer Elton John arrives at the ''An Enduring Vision'' benefit for the Elton John AIDS foundation in New York September 25, 2007. John said he was the owner of a picture by U.S. photographer Nan Goldin seized by British police at a gallery as part of a child pornography probe.

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Elton John said he was the owner of a picture by U.S. photographer Nan Goldin seized by British police at a gallery as part of a child pornography probe.

Entitled "Klara And Edda Belly-Dancing", the photograph was removed from an exhibition at the Baltic gallery in the northern English town of Gateshead last Thursday before the remainder of the show was opened to the public.

British media reported that the photograph was of two young girls, one of them sitting with her legs apart.

"The photograph ... is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin," John said in a statement on his Web site.

"The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world," the statement said.

It added that it had previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid, New York, Portugal, Warsaw and Zurich "without any objections of which we are aware" and was offered for sale at Sotheby's in New York in 2002 and 2004.

Northumbria police said the Baltic gallery invited them to view the photograph last week. They were now assessing the image with prosecutors, a spokeswoman said, but she did not specify what potential offense the police were investigating.

"We attended the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead last Thursday at the invitation of the management who were seeking advice about an item from an exhibition prior to it going on public display," she said, reading from a statement.

Goldin is renowned for her work among gay and transvestite communities in the United States.