On the Impossibility of Freedom in a Country Founded on Slavery and Genocide

October 7, 2014

Dread Scott

Artist, American, born 1965

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Part of two photographs acquired by the National Gallery of Art by the multimedia artist Dread Scott (b. 1965), whose work engages with some of the most significant social questions of our time. Made possible through a generous gift of funds by Michael Findlay and Victoria Findlay Wolfe, I Am Not A Man (2009) and On the Impossibility of Freedom in a Country Founded on Slavery and Genocide (2014) depict key moments from two of Scott’s performances that confront the legacy of racism in the United States. These pictures, the first works by the artist to enter the collection, reflect not only Scott’s desire to push formal and conceptual boundaries, but also his deep awareness of how history informs the present. His compelling images refer to seminal events from the Civil Rights Movement and promote critical reflection on contemporary events.


Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Dread Scott, New York; NGA purchase (through (Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York), 2023.

Associated Names


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