‘People need hope.?
That’s what Oxford sculptor Raymond Vandamme wants to give his community by creating a public monument that reflects the character of the Lone Ranger.
‘Everything an artist creates has an energy,? he explained. ‘It conveys a message to people, whether they realize it or not, when they’re looking at it. It changes how they think and it changes how they feel about themselves and the world around them. If the artist has the right intentions when they create it, it will be a positive feeling and a positive energy.?
Vandamme is the second artist being vetted to potentially create a town monument celebrating the virtues of the fictional masked lawman and the community’s historical connection to Brace Beemer, who portrayed the iconic character on coast-to-coast radio from 1941-54 and lived on a W. Drahner Rd. farm in Oxford Township from 1942 until his death in 1965.
‘I’m not saying I’m a shoe-in by any means,? he said. ‘I am definitely someone to be considered for that project.?
Orion artist Laura Gabriel, a 1980 Oxford High School graduate, recently submitted a proposal to create a bronze relief sculpture depicting the Lone Ranger and Beemer.
The idea of creating a Lone Ranger monument is something that’s been discussed and planned for decades, but never come to fruition as interest has ebbed and flowed. Renewed interest in the project came about three years ago.
Vandamme believes the masked lawman is a good subject for a piece of public art.
‘The Lone Ranger stood for law and order, and defending people who couldn’t defend themselves,? he said. ‘That’s a classic theme. That will forever be a part of society no matter where you go. It speaks to society as a whole, not just Oxford.?
Vandamme’s been sculpting for about 30 years, but he’s never been commissioned to create something monumental and he would relish the chance to do it for Oxford, his home since 1997.
‘I see it as an opportunity for me to realize a dream that I’ve had for years ? to leave behind a message that will outlive me, a legacy,? he said.
Not wishing to follow in the footsteps of his musician siblings, Vandamme took his first art class in middle school and it awakened something in him. His mother saw how passionate he was about being creative and constantly encouraged him to never give up on his art.
‘I took those words to heart,? Vandamme said. ?(Art has) always been a part of my life whether I had a day job or not. It makes me feel so good.?
His passion for sculpting developed in the mid-1980s when he took a class at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) taught by Jay Holland, a professor who had a profound and lasting influence on students for 34 years before retiring in 1998.
‘He taught me so much,? Vandamme said. ‘He taught me how much I didn’t know. He taught me how to see.?
‘Once that happened, there was no stopping me,? he continued. ‘I couldn’t keep my hands off the clay. I decided this is really what I want to do with my life.?
Vandamme loves sculpting because he believes it’s ‘the most challenging? of all the art forms. ‘Sculpture requires full comprehension of your subject matter from multiple angles,? he said. ‘That’s why I was drawn to it. I love a challenge.?
He also enjoys sculpting because unlike a painting, for example, the finished product is three-dimensional.
‘You can walk around it,? Vandamme said. ‘You can touch it. You can put your hands on it. It’s a tactile thing.?
One of his proudest moments as an artist came in 2011 when he displayed a massive piece entitled ‘Perseverance? at ArtPrize, an international art competition held in downtown Grand Rapids.
Perseverance is a figure of a kneeling archer taking aim (shown above). The sculpture is about 16 feet tall and sits on a base with a diameter of approximately 14 feet.
‘If you want to win (ArtPrize), you have to go big or go home,? Vandamme said.
At first glance, Perseverance appears to be a bronze casting, but it’s actually made out of wood and foam. ‘That (bronze look) was intentional,? Vandamme said. ‘I wanted to give (it) the feel of a permanent monument.?
Perseverance can actually be disassembled, transported and reassembled anywhere.
Although Perseverance didn’t win him any money at ArtPrize, the piece was very well-received by the public and the fact that it touched so many people had a profound impact on Vandamme as an artist.
‘It gave me a fresh outlook on what my motivations for creating art should really be. It shouldn’t be (about) the money at all,? he said. ‘I wouldn’t have come to that realization if I hadn’t been in that show, met all those people and experienced their responses to what I had done.?
To Vandamme, Perseverance is more than just a sculpture, it’s the embodiment of his emergence from a very long and difficult period in his life.
It all began in 2000 when he got laid off. He had previously spent 16 years as a designer for a company that did contract work for General Motors. The layoff was a shock.
‘It was a job that I thought would last forever,? he said.
Vandamme struggled to find lasting work within the design industry.
‘That did not go well,? he said. ‘In 10 years, I got laid off six times. I was really starting to lose heart. I needed to catch a break here.?
Vandamme said most people probably would have given up and decided to become ‘a ward of the state.?
‘I’ve never had that attitude. I’ve always had the attitude (that) you get knocked down, you get back up and you give it another swing.?
His decision to invest 11 months of his time creating the Perseverance piece for ArtPrize represents his attempt ‘to take a swing at something I really believed in, in the face of? adversity and disappointment.
‘It spoke to the situation I was in,? Vandamme said. ‘Everybody’s got something to deal with. Life throws stuff at all of us. You have to decide, do I let it keep me down or do I overcome it, get back up and keep trying.?
Vandamme is grateful to his brother, Victor, for sponsoring his ArtPrize endeavor because at the time, he had no steady income.
‘He handled my expenses for almost a year so I could do the show,? he said.
In the end, whether or not he is tapped to sculpt Oxford’s Lone Ranger monument, Vandamme is just pleased there’s an interest in creating a permanent piece of public art for all to appreciate and enjoy for years to come.
‘It’s a testimony to (the community’s) well-being,? he said. ?(Public art shows) how we feel about where we live ? we’re vibrant, we’re doing well and we want you to know it. We want you to see reminders of how we feel about our community.?
‘Good art nourishes people and it gives them something that they can walk away with,? Vandamme noted.
To learn more about Vandamme’s work, visit at www.raymondvandamme.com