Carol Brown, Art and
Museum Consultant (t/a Curate.a.Space), and former director of the Durban Art
Gallery, pays tribute to her friend and colleague, the late Andrew Verster.
Andrew Verster died peacefully in his bed on Sunday February 16, 2020.
It was the kind if death he would have wished for. No fuss, no drama – an end
to a life well lived. Since his life partner, Aidan Walsh, died in July 2009,
it seemed that life was never quite the same for him.
However, notwithstanding his personal loss, Andrew never lost his love
of creating. Creating was, after all, his life. At his Retrospective Exhibition
in 2008, he said “If I had to choose one label for myself and only one it would
be Painter. He continued – “Working as a full time artist for twenty five years
has meant that I have to be versatile and develop a lot of skills so that I could
take on a variety of commissions. This does not mean I am skilled in the media
I work in – such as tapestry, or carpet making or wood carving as I have done
for the new Constitutional Court – rather that I collaborate with people who DO
have the skills. But I have to know
enough of the possibilities of each of the processes in order to be able to
design in them."
The skills he mentioned were just a small part of the other things he
did – he designed Opera and Theatre costumes. He worked with architects
designing etched glass, stainless steel panels and many other public art
commissions.
He was a poet, a writer of short stories, an art critic and served on
many boards such as the Film and Publication Review Board, the Durban Art Works
Trust, Very Special Arts, Artists for Human Rights Trust, Durban Art Gallery
Advisory Board, African Art Centre and the Grahamstown Festival Visual Arts
Board.
He has had over 50 solo exhibitions and was honoured with an Honorary
Doctorate by the Durban University of Technology in 2009. Not that you would
ever know it – he was a remarkably modest man who accepted his accolades
graciously and then almost forgot about them – he was never too busy to give advice
to anyone who sought it. He was always nurturing, encouraging and supportive.
As a teacher he was vastly influential – he nurtured generations of
young artists who have gone on to greater things and who always lovingly speak
of him as a mentor.
Andrew lived through tumultuous times in South Africa and in the 40-odd
years that I have known him, I never heard him despair or complain or decry the
changes – if he didn’t like what was happening he addressed the issues in an
outright manner and embraced the future with an unfettered optimism. He always
saw the positive side of things and looked forward to new ideas and challenges.
And yet, he was private person who loved being at home with Aidan where
they both led a life of creativity surrounded by the beauty of their tropical
Durban Berea home environment which attracted creatives from around the country
and the world. Andrew led a good life and one which influenced many others and
has left an enormous legacy. He had high
standards in everything he did and his influence will live on.
We cannot ask for more from the lifespan we are given. – Carol Brown
Andrew Verster’s wake will take place at St Clements in Musgrave Road on
Tuesday February 25, 2020, at 16h30. All are welcome.
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