The Transformation of Confederate Monuments: A Journey from Conflict to Art

In 2021, Charlottesville, Virginia, took a monumental step by finally removing Confederate statues that had ignited violent and deadly white supremacist rallies, notably the Unite the Right rally in 2017. The removal of these statues symbolized not just a physical act but a significant cultural reckoning with the past. Among the most notorious of these monuments was a statue of Robert E. Lee, which was melted down, while another, the statue of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, took a different path. This statue was donated to a California-based arts organization tasked with recontextualizing it for contemporary discourse.

Reimagining History through Art

The newly transformed statue of Stonewall Jackson, now titled Unmanned Drone, was reconfigured by the acclaimed American artist Kara Walker. Known for her provocative explorations of race and history, Walker significantly altered the original statue, which had been prominently displayed in Charlottesville. The once-stately equestrian figure was dissected and reconstructed into a disjointed, disturbing form that embodies the grotesque legacy of white supremacy in America.

Walker’s version depicts Jackson as a horrid creature, with the rider’s legs hanging backward and a faceless head propped upon this monstrous figure’s snout. The ensemble evokes a visceral reaction that challenges the glorified myths surrounding Confederate leaders. Hamza Walker, the co-curator of the exhibit, explained that the intention was to juxtapose the monuments’ historical weight with the realities of their impact. The artwork serves as a commemoration of the trauma, rather than the valor, associated with American racism.

The Monuments Exhibit: Contextualizing the Past

The Monuments exhibit in Los Angeles, home to Walker’s Unmanned Drone, stands as a testament to contemporary artists engaging with historical narratives. The exhibit features a collection of Confederate monuments, some in near-pristine condition while others are displayed in their defaced states, showcasing the complexities of racial dialog in modern America. The opening of the exhibit on October 23 coincides with a broader movement to confront and dismantle symbols of racial oppression.

While Walker’s piece stands distinct at the Brick gallery, other installations at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) facilitate a dialogue between antiquated representations of power and contemporary art that speaks against it. Various artworks explore the consequences of systemic racism and grapple with the narratives surrounding Black lives and Black histories, thus emphasizing the urgency of these conversations.

The Collective Healing Through Art

Kara Walker emphasizes the healing aspect of this exhibition, asserting that the act of decommissioning these monuments and placing them within a contemporary art framework diminishes their power to harm. They are no longer mere individuals on pedestals but are transformed into objects for critical examination and discourse. This artistic recontextualization allows for a dialogue between the past and the present, projecting a vision of healing instead of glorification.

For many activists and scholars, the remnants of Confederate monuments housed in exhibits serve as a form of “vital medicine” for a society grappling with its history. Jalane Schmidt, a religious studies professor at the University of Virginia, noted that re-examining these subjects in an artistic environment can diminish their traditional reifying power.

The Technical Challenges of Transformation

The logistics of physically transforming these massive statues presented unique challenges. Kara Walker collaborated with fabricators to create a 3D digital rendering of Jackson’s statue, which was necessary for visualizing cutting strategies owing to the statue’s considerable weight—over 8,900 pounds. One particularly striking incident during the transformation occurred when the statue had to be disassembled to fit into a foundry due to its height—leading to the removal of Jackson’s head, an act that Walker described as unexpectedly violent.

Special care was taken to preserve the original material while completely reinterpreting it. This process not only confronted the statuary’s original message but also recast it in ways that provoked thought and understanding regarding contemporary racial issues.

Examining Other Confederate Monuments

The Monuments exhibit also includes other historical remnants, such as the defaced statue of Captain Matthew Fontaine Maury, which has seen graffiti and paint symbolize the public’s rejection of its intended legacy. Nearby, a granite block that once served as the foundation for the Robert E. Lee statue boasts the inscription, “As white supremacy crumbles,” embodying the powerful shift in societal understanding regarding these figures.

The exhibit is rich with varied artistic approaches, featuring works by Black artists that resonate deeply with themes of social justice, racial identity, and remembrance. For example, Kahlil Robert Irving’s detailed bronze replica of Ferguson streets echoes the protests following the tragic death of Michael Brown, amplifying the connections between past injustices and present realities.

The Pathway to Change

The journey of decommissioning Confederate monuments has seen a dramatic acceleration since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Hamza Walker recounts how the initial efforts to acquire these statues faced slow progress until the societal upheaval of 2020 catalyzed a wider reevaluation of such symbols. With over 150 statues being removed in recent years, the exhibit serves as a repository of history told through the lens of race, violence, and healing.

Notably, as of 2024, a significant portion of Confederate monuments remains in public spaces across the U.S.—over four out of five, according to a national audit. The ongoing work to collect, reflect on, and recontextualize these symbols plays a critical role in shaping a future that acknowledges the past without carrying forward its legacies of oppression and division.

Through exhibitions like Monuments, we see a concerted effort to bring forth difficult conversations about history, identity, and our collective responsibilities toward a racially just society. The process not only amplifies the voices of marginalized communities but also compels a broader reflection on the enduring effects of systemic racism in America today.