The Story Behind My New Singapore Series
Having grown up in West Michigan, about forty miles from Saugatuck, I have long been aware of the story of Singapore, Michigan. There is a sign in Saugatuck that tells a bit of the town’s history, but it wasn’t until recently that I came across a photograph that truly captured my imagination.
It was this image.
A house partially buried by sand. The landscape slowly reclaiming what had once been built by people.
The photograph stopped me in my tracks.
As I walk the beaches of Lake Michigan, I am reminded that the shoreline is never still. The water rises and falls. Sandbars appear and disappear. Wind reshapes the dunes. The landscape I see today is not quite the same landscape I saw yesterday.
Looking at this photograph, I could easily imagine what life must have been like in Singapore. Buildings constructed near the shoreline without protection from the relentless Lake Michigan winds. Sand swirling through the air. Dunes slowly advancing toward homes, businesses, and streets.
In Grand Haven, we still witness the power of moving sand. At the end of winter, road crews use front-end loaders to remove sand that has blown across roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. Without modern equipment, some of our landscapes might begin to resemble this historic photograph.
(Images by Bob Walma)
The story of Singapore also carries an important lesson. Historians believe that extensive logging of the area’s white pine forests removed a natural barrier that had helped stabilize the dunes. Once those trees were gone, the wind gained greater access to the sand. Over time, the dunes began reclaiming the town.
It makes me think about how often we fail to fully understand the consequences of our actions. Decisions that seem practical or beneficial in the moment can have impacts that unfold over decades.
For several years I have incorporated small houses into my ceramic work. They have appeared as symbols of shelter, memory, and place. Recently, I found myself wondering where that imagery might lead next.
This photograph provided an answer.
The first pieces in my new Singapore Series explore the relationship between human structures and the forces of nature. Small houses emerge from and disappear into sculptural forms inspired by dunes, shoreline landscapes, and the constant movement of sand. These pieces are still evolving, but I am excited by the direction they are taking.
Like much of my work, the series begins with observation. A walk along Lake Michigan. A story from our region’s past. A single photograph. A question.
What happens when nature slowly takes back what we have built?
If you would like to see these new pieces in person, I invite you to join me at our
Pop Up Art Show
on June 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
at 815 VerHoeks in Grand Haven.
I’ll be exhibiting alongside Ann Salamy, Dave WarmenHoven, and Mike Westra.
You can learn more about the history of Singapore, Michigan through this article from the Netherlands Museum: https://nmgl.org/singapore-michigans-imaginary-pompeii-part-2-spring-1954/
