Reflection on Recent Art Exhibit and Confederate Monuments

Before the upheaval of 2020, discussions about Confederate statues were typically handled with a degree of respect. However, a new art exhibit in Los Angeles starkly illustrates a shift towards what many are calling barbarism in how we approach these monuments.

The exhibit, titled “Monuments,” is a collaboration between The Brick and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It features statues that have been removed, some still bearing graffiti from protests, while others have been placed in a historical context. One statue, however, has even been mutilated beyond recognition.

In a review, The New Yorker described “Monument” as both a vengeful act and an acknowledgment of the persistent struggle associated with the Union’s legacy.

This brings us to the question of retribution—who is it aimed at, really?

Confederate Statues Removed Amidst Controversy

The figures these statues depict have already been largely erased from our historical narrative. The animosity we see now appears less targeted at them and more at those who advocate for preserving our historical sites rather than destroying them.

Take the statue known as “Baltimore’s Confederate Women.” Initially, it was meant to evoke the sorrow of a nation torn by war, showing two women mourning a fallen soldier. Now, it stands alongside images of black mothers comforting injured children, communicating a message that seems dismissive of the original intent.

Another figure, “Unmanned Drone,” used to be an equestrian statue of General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. Artist Kara Walker has repurposed it, creating something terrifying that challenges its historical significance.

Hamza Walker, the director of The Brick, described the exhibit as both ideologically and aesthetically offensive, but one might wonder whom exactly this offends. If it stirs discomfort, what does that say about our current cultural landscape?

It’s almost ironic that many who celebrate “The Monument” view the Trump administration’s new ballroom in the White House as a provocation, while exhibits like this send a decidedly pointed message to those on the right.

This art often doesn’t simply involve the destruction of monuments; it’s about publicly ridiculing them, elevating the act to an art form that some critics laud as courageous.

One cannot help but draw parallels to the Nazi exhibition of so-called “Degenerate Art,” which similarly sought to publicly shame and ridicule works deemed culturally offensive. This exhibit functions in much the same way, portraying a deeper disdain for the Confederacy while ironically normalizing a form of cultural contempt.

Monument as a Carnival of Revenge

While the exhibit exudes an air of revenge, it also raises questions about the “zombie-like tenacity” of Confederate symbols. Arguably, it seems that the only ones still preoccupied with the Confederacy in our current era are progressives. There’s no major neo-Confederate movement actively defending the old ways; rather, it often feels like they are the ones invoking these symbols to draw lines in modern debates.

The initial removal of monuments might have seemed like an act of erasure, but “Monument” feels more like an intentional act of humiliation and mockery.

On a brighter note, there appears to be a division in how people approach this matter. The Trump administration has reinstated some Confederate statues in Washington, D.C., symbolizing a meaningful struggle between those looking to honor history and those eager to discard it.

Thankfully, the majority of the statues, aside from the one of Stonewall Jackson, will be stored away after this exhibit. With effort, perhaps there will come a time when these pieces can find their rightful places again.

The ongoing conflict surrounding these statues is less about the past and more about what kind of present and future we want to create. It’s a debate we cannot afford to sidestep.