IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

In answering the question, “What do statues stand to tell us about race within our capitol space?” one difficult answer might be “in living color.” In analyzing the neoclassical architecture dominant on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., very few statues of nonwhite individuals can be seen. Many early city planners thought that not only white people as subjects were best suited for eternal, public remembrance, but also, that the statues themselves should be white. Yet, the original Greco-Roman statues that early American sculptors imitated were indeed full of color as they were painted. Thus, the exclusion and marginalization of certain social groups or individuals from public monument spaces merits reinterpretation especially in light of technology that allows us to reimagine how colorful our cityscapes could truly become. Thus, given the involved and intricate history of race relations in the U.S., it is revealing to analyze statues as political tools evidencing and legitimating equitable presence; technology can assist us in reconsidering what our shared heritage should truly look like.