Monumental Fury: The History of Iconoclasm and the Future of Our Past

Recent years have seen Confederate monuments toppled, statues of colonizers vandalized, and public icons commemorating figures from a history of exploitation demolished. Monumental Folly examines the long-neglected questions of our relationship with statues, icons, and monuments in public spaces, providing a rich historical perspective on iconoclastic violence. It argues that the impulse to destroy statues is motivated by a desire to defy, reject, and eradicate their authority, but the symbolic power of statues can persist even after their destruction.

Format: Hardback
Length: 338 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: Prometheus Books

In recent years, America has witnessed a surge of activism aimed at toppling Confederate monuments, vandalizing statues of colonizers, and demolishing public icons commemorating figures from a history of exploitation. While some individuals expressed alarm at the destruction, arguing that it negates an entire cultural heritage, others saw statue-smashing as a justified form of vandalism against a legacy of injustice. Monumental Folly delves into the complex and often overlooked questions surrounding our relationship with statues, icons, and monuments in public spaces.

The book is organized into thematic chapters that explore the erection and destruction of statues across various historical contexts, including religion, war, revolution, colonialism, ideology, art, and social justice. Author Matthew Fraser examines the implications of these monuments, ranging from the Buddhas of Bamiyan to figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Vladimir Lenin, and many more.

Through his comprehensive analysis, Fraser seeks to frame moments of statue-toppling throughout history, providing insights into the eruptions of iconoclastic violence that we witness today. Statues, as expressions of power, are often erected to assert dominance and control, but the impulse to destroy them stems from a desire to defy, reject, and eradicate their authority. However, the symbolic power of statues can be resilient, even after their physical destruction.

This enduring paradox between destruction and resurrection forms the central theme of Monumental Folly. Fraser concludes his book with reflections that propose new ways of thinking about our relationship with statues and monuments. He suggests that we can creatively integrate their legacy into our collective memory in a way that inclusively enriches shared historical experience. By acknowledging the complexities and contradictions of our past, we can move towards a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of our shared history.

Weight: 558g
Dimension: 232 x 160 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781633888104