DREAD SCOTT

Dread Scott is a multidisciplinary artist whose work addresses questions that are part of the public discourse from a Maoist point of view. He approaches these questions from the standpoint of the oppressed and the "have-nots" and they are often the subject of the work as well.

Dread exposes the misery that this society causes for so many people. Because of this, his art has often become part of this public debate. He is always striving to make art in which people see themselves and their world and feel more empowered to change it. Therefore he seeks to make his work accessible both within the "art world" and to people outside the traditional art audience". Roberta Smith, art critic for the New York Times, has described a recent work as "quite resonant."

He first received national attention when he was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). In 1989, his installation for audience participation, "What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?" (above), became the center of controversy over its use of the American flag. George Bush publicly denounced him because of this art and Congress passed legislation that outlawed it. Dread considers each of these actions a tremendous honor.

For more on the battle over "What Is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?", go here