Why should long-dead Confederates have all the fun, all the glory? That's the gist of a Moveon.org petition titled "Georgia: Add Outkast to Stone Mountain!" by artist Mack Williams that's gathered more than 8,000 signatures. And the essence of that idea is echoed in a letter from local reader Forrest A. Watson III, who acknowledges that Williams' vision of blasting Daddy Fat Sacks and Three Stacks in a top-down Cadillac, alongside enormous bas-reliefs of Confederate horsemen, will never happen. (To the chagrin of Big Boi himself). But what about other bona fide Georgia legends? Why shouldn't Stone Mountain's north-face serve as a gallery of homage, a Southern-fried Mount Rushmore for Peach State visionaries and artists? "The more I thought about the absurdity of the (Outkast) drawing provided in the article," writes Watson, "the more I realized that there's a hint of brilliance in this idea."
Rewind to 1912, and the massive Stone Mountain sculptures were merely ideas in the mind of C. Helen Plane, a charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. So who has the big ideas now? Who'll step up to make them happen? And what legends should keep the Confederates company for all eternity? Watson offers up a few ideas.
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Dear Curbed Atlanta,
Recently you provided a link to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article discussing the idea of adding carvings of Outkast's Big Boi and Andre 3000 to the side of Stone Mountain. Many of my friends are reposting this article on their Facebook pages, and the idea seems to be quite popular, though I'm certain most people know that an idea like this will never come to fruition.
However, the more I thought about the absurdity of the drawing provided in the article, the more I realized that there's a hint of brilliance in this idea.
How about instead of defacing the carvings on Stone Mountain we add more famous Georgians to it? We could show the progression of the state through some of its most significant figures. We could add James Oglethorpe, Martin Luther King Jr., Ivan Allen Jr., Jimmy Carter, Ray Charles, Margaret Mitchell, just to name a few. The north face of Stone Mountain could become a beautiful mural to celebrate our history through all of its ups and downs.
I'm going to start discussing this idea with more people I know, but I'd be very interested if any members of the Curbed community would support such an idea.
Thanks,
Forrest A. Watson III
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· Big Boi endorses petition for Outkast carving on Stone Mountain [AJC]
· Georgia: Add Outkast to Stone Mountain! [Moveon.org]
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