Gordon Vorster

Gordon Vorster (1924-1988) was a filmmaker and actor, novelist and painter.

Biography

Born in Warrenton, near Kimberley, on the 17th of September 1924, the son of Paul Philippus Vorster and Nancy Christina Clack. He also had one brother and two sisters.

His father was a diamond digger and the family led a nomadic life. Gordon thus got to know the Kalahari and Griqualand at an early stage of his life. Much of his art shows this influence.

Educated at the Diamantveld Hoërskool in Kimberley, he originally intended to become an accountant but during the second world war he joined the S.A. Air Force in 1941 and saw service in North Africa and Italy. His experiences in Italy, including exposure to various studios in Florence (1946), fostered an interest in art. He therefore went to study at the University of the Witwatersrand under Willem Hendrikz, Charles Argent and Dr Maria Stein-Lessing (1947-49).

He initially worked in the film industry (see below), but later returned to a career as artist.

He married to Martha Yvonne van Schalkwyk (1924-1988) in 1947.

Vorster died on 9th October 1988.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

In 1950 he joined the Killarney Film Studios as Art Director and became involved in making both documentary and feature films as writer, producer and director. He produced over 100 documentaries.

In 1963 he left full-time filming to concentrate on painting, holding his first exhibition in 1964. More than 60 exhibitions of his paintings have been shown internationally and his works now hang in South African art museums and in corporate and private collections in South Africa and overseas.

An accomplished bilingual actor, Vorster was awarded the 'Oscar' of the South African Motion Picture Producer's Association for his performance in the film Pappa Lap and won two Star Tonight Awards for The Story of an African Farm and The Pain. In 1971 his performance in Athol Fugard's The Guest won him another Best actor award. His writing included screenplays, stage plays, poetry and novels.

For a period he was also as art and drama critic for radio, regularly broadcasting in English and Afrikaans.

Gordon 's first novel, The Textures of Silence (1983) won the prestigious Golden Cape Prize.. He also wrote Textures of Silence (1983) and Spinning by Fire.

His stage plays include the full-length work Time Till Sundown, the text typed but unpublished and no record has been found of a performance.