Controversial artist scandalised crowds (4)
I believe the answer is:
dali
'controversial artist' is the definition.
(Salvador Dali)
'scandalised crowds' is the wordplay.
'crowds' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (the clue crowds or surrounds the answer).
'DALI' can be found hidden inside 'scandalised'.
(Other definitions for dali that I've seen before include "Tree" , "Controversial painter" , "Salvador among artists" , "Salvador -, twentieth century artist" , "Salvador . . . . was great Spanish surrealist painter" .)