Explore the abstract of this artwork, The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag.
The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag is an art installation by John Sims. The controversial installation consists of a Confederate battle flag hanging from a noose at a 13-foot (4.0 m) gallows. The Proper way to Hang a Confederate Flag was first shown in Schmucker Gallery at Gettysburg College in 2004 as a part of Sims' Recoloration Proclamation: The Gettysburg Redress. Recoloration Proclamation targets specific traditional symbols of southern heritage, which are inextricably linked to slavery and racism in America. Included in the exhibition are recolored Confederate flags, a Confederate flag hanging from the gallows, a contemporary rewrite of the Gettysburg Address, contemporary recordings of the song "Dixie", and a documentary film. A notable piece featured in the exhibition Recoloration Proclamation: The Gettysburg Redress is ReVote, an installation featuring three voting booths used in Florida's disputed 2000 presidential election with re-colored Confederate flags hanging above, including black, red, and green for the Pan-African Flag of the African Liberation Movement. Pink and lavender Confederate flags with feathers and sequins were also created for the exhibition signifying "drag flags". John Sims received national media attention for his lynching of the Confederate flag.
A related exhibition, Dread Scott's interactive installation What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag? was first shown at The Art Institute of Chicago in 1989. Scott's piece became the center of national controversy over its use of the American flag. Dread Scott's piece begins with a photomontage of American flags draped over coffins as well as South Korean citizens burning American flags while protesting American foreign policy. The question, "What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. flag?" is written across the images. The photomontage hangs above a table where exhibit visitors are invited to write their answers to Scott's question in a blank book. A three-by-five-foot (90 by 150 cm) American flag is placed on the ground in front of the table, and if visitors want to write in the book, they must first step on the flag. What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag? joined Sims' The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag in Sarasota, Florida, at the Crossley Gallery in 2006.
Art Institute of Chicago Gettysburg College John Sims art installation Confederate battle flag lynching The Art Institute of Chicago Dread Scott Dixie Gettysburg Address installation Pan-African Flag