Transtruction: artistic evolution of Lee statue faces final hurdle

"It seems to me that the project could be considered both a recontextualization and a destruction of the Lee statue," says Prof. Thomas Brown.

Update: 4/29/22 - a judge ruled that the lawsuit can move forward. Ruling also indicated the city may have violated the state's Procurement Act. More here.

Well, here we go again. Lee statue defenders have settled on a new argument to try and thwart the City's decision to give the statue to the Jefferson School for its Swords into Ploughshares project, which would melt the bronze statue down into blocks for the creation of new works of art. While this particular group, which also fought to prevent the Lee statue's removal, has certainly shown a zeal for litigation, its always been a losing argument that has had to rely on technicalities in state code and ignoring the historic pain the false symbolism of these public monuments has caused, and so their efforts have mostly served to highlight just how important it is that they come down and face re- and decontexulisation. Still, they persist, now claiming that the re- and decontexulisation project Charlottesville has chosen for its Lee s…