How art can shape America's conversation about freedom | Dread Scott

翻译人员: psjmz mz 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I am a visual artist,

我是一个视觉艺术家，

and I make revolutionary art to propel history forward.

我创造革命性的艺术来推动历史前进。

I'm going to come right out and tell you something:

我马上就会告诉你们一些事情：

I don't accept the economic foundation,

我不接受美国的经济基础，

the social relations

社交关系，

or the governing ideas of America.

或执政理念等东西。

My art contributes to fundamental change

我的艺术通过鼓励观众从这个角度

by encouraging an audience to address big questions from that perspective.

来解决大问题，从而促成根本性的改变。

Social change is hard, but ideas matter tremendously.

社交变革困难，但思想非常重要。

When I say I'm an artist, most people think, "Oh, he's a painter."

当我说：“我是个艺术家”， 很多人会想，“哦，他是个画家”。

Behind me, you can see some of the kind of work I do.

我身后的舞台布景展示了 我做的一些工作。

"Imagine a World Without America" is a painting,

“想象一个没有美国的世界”是一幅画，

but I work in a range of media,

其制作过程包含了多种媒体，

including photography, video and performance art.

包括图片，视频和行为艺术。

A current project, "Slave Rebellion Reenactment,"

一个正在进行的项目， “奴隶起义的重现”，

is going to be reenacted on the outskirts of New Orleans

9月将会在新奥尔良郊区

this November.

再次上演。

In 1989, I had an artwork that became the center of controversy

在1989年，我有一件 艺术作品成为了关于

over its transgressive use of the American flag.

美国国旗过度使用的争论焦点。

"What is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?"

“什么是展示美国国旗的正确方式？”

is a conceptual work that encouraged audience participation.

是一项鼓励观众参与的概念性工作。

It consisted of a photo montage that had text that read,

它包含了一组照片，上面用文字写着：

"What is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?"

“什么是展示美国国旗的正确方式？”

Below that were books that people could write responses to that question in,

下面是人们可以针对这个问题 进行回应的本子，

and below that was a flag that people had the option of standing on.

下方是一张人们可以选择 站在上面的旗帜。

The photo montage consisted of images of South Korean students

这组照片包含了韩国学生

burning American flags,

焚烧美国国旗的照片，

holding signs that said, "Yankee go home. Son of a bitch,"

举着牌子，上面写着： “洋基回家。婊子养的。”

and below that were flag-draped coffins coming back from Vietnam.

其下则是从越南运回来的 覆盖着国旗的棺材。

People wrote long and short answers.

人们写下了或长或短的答案。

Thousands of people engaged with the work in a lot of different languages.

成千上万的人用不同的语言 参与了这场活动。

Some of the people said,

有些人说，

"I'm a German girl.

“我是个德国女孩，

If we Germans would admire our flag as you all do,

如果德国人像你们那样 崇拜我们的国旗，

we would be called Nazis again.

我们会被再次叫做纳粹。

I think you do have too much trouble about this flag."

我认为你这面国旗有太多的问题。”

"I think that the artist should be returned to his heritage,

“我觉得这个艺术家应该回到他老家去，

i.e., the jungles of Africa,

比如，非洲丛林，

and then he can shovel manure in his artistic way."

在那儿他可以用他的艺术来铲粪”。

"This flag I'm standing on stands for everything oppressive in this system:

“我所站的这面旗帜代表了 这个系统所有的压迫：

the murder of the Indians and all the oppressed around the world,

对印第安人的屠杀和对全球的压迫，

including my brother who was shot by a pig,

包括我那个被一只蠢猪枪击的兄弟，

who kicked over his body to 'make sure the nigger was dead.'

蠢猪踢了他尸体一脚， 以“确保黑鬼已经死了。”

That pig was wearing the flag.

那头猪就披着这个国旗。

Thank you, Dread Scott, for this opportunity."

谢谢你给予的这个机会，斯科特。”

"As a veteran defending the flag,

“作为一名捍卫国旗的老兵，

I personally would never defend your stupid ass!

我个人永远不会为你这头蠢驴辩护！

You should be shot!" -- US Navy Seal Team.

你应该被枪杀！“ ——美国海军海豹突击队。

As you can see, people had very strong reactions about the flag then,

如你所见，那时人们 对国旗有强烈的反应，

as they do now.

就如他们现在一样。

There were demonstrations of veterans in front of the Art Institute of Chicago.

在芝加哥艺术学院的前面还有 一些退伍军人的示威游行。

They chanted things like,

他们高呼诸如这样的口号，

"The flag and the artist, hang them both high,"

“国旗和艺术家，把它们都吊起来”

evoking images of lynching.

这种唤起私刑的画面。

I received numerous death threats,

我收到了无数的死亡威胁，

and bomb threats were phoned in to my school.

炸弹威胁电话打到了我的学校。

It was a very dangerous situation.

境况已经极度危险了。

Later, President Bush called the work "disgraceful,"

后来，布什总统说： “这个艺术作品是“可耻的”，

which I viewed as a tremendous honor,

我却视之为无尽的荣耀，

and Congress outlawed the work.

国会还宣布这个艺术作品为非法。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I became part of a Supreme Court case when I and others defied that law,

当我和其他人违反法律， 在国会大厦的台阶上焚烧国旗时，

by burning flags on the steps of the Capitol.

我成为了最高法院案例中的一员。

That action and the subsequent legal and political battle

这一行动以及随后的法律和政治斗争，

led to a landmark First Amendment decision that prevented the government

导致了一项具有里程碑意义的 涉及宪法第一修正案的决定，

from demanding patriotism be mandatory.

该决定阻止了政府要求 爱国主义的强制性。

But let me back up a bit.

但让我退回去一点。

These people literally wanted me dead.

这些人是真希望我死。

What I would do at this moment would make a difference.

我现在要做的事情会产生影响。

This is me at the exact same moment,

这是我在同一时刻，

eight stories above that crowd.

在那群人所在位置附近的 八层楼的楼顶。

It was supposed to be for a photo shoot

它应该是

在老兵们当时所在的台阶上拍的。

that was going to take place on the steps where the veterans were at that time.

不夸张地说，我在那里是不安全的。

It wouldn't have been safe for me to be there, to say the least.

但是拍摄这组照片真的很重要，

But it was really important to do that shoot,

因为虽然有人想杀我，但这也让那些

because while some wanted to kill me, it was also a situation

认为美国国旗象征着 这个系统一切压迫的

where those who viewed the American flag as standing for everything oppressive

人觉得

in this system

他们有自己的声音，

felt that they had a voice,

而这种声音需要被放大。

and that voice needed to be amplified.

The point is this:

我的观点是这样的：

changing anything --

改变任何事情——

whether it's conventional ideas about US national symbols,

不管是关于美国国家象征的传统观点，

traditional thinking challenged by scientific breakthroughs

科学突破的传统思维挑战，

or ousting an authoritarian president --

或者推翻独裁总统——

requires a lot of things.

需要很多东西。

It requires courage,

它要求勇气，

luck

运气，

and also vision and boldness of action.

还有远见和大胆的行动。

But on luck --

但关于运气——

I have to say, the photo shoot we did might not have worked out so well.

我不得不说，我们拍的 照片可能效果不太好。

We laughed after we were out of the area.

离开这个地区后，我们都笑了。

But the thing is, it was worth the risk

但问题是，它值得冒这个险，

因为涉及到的利害关系。

because of the stakes that were involved.

And in this case, the luck led to a wonderful,

在这种情况下，运气带来了一种奇妙、

profound and powerful situation

深刻和强大的情境，

that was also humorous.

同时也很幽默。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）