Nicolaas Vergunst
Encyclopedia
Nicolaas Maartin Vergunst (Cape Town
, 1 September 1958) has been an artist, teacher, designer, curator and journalist. He is best known as the author of Knot of Stone
: the day that changed South Africa’s history.
after the Second World War, Nicolaas Vergunst grew up in a post-Commonwealth
environment that became increasingly divided by apartheid. The tension between Afrikaner nationalism
and English liberalism
has had a lasting influence on him.
Vergunst studied art and cultural history in Stellenbosch and KwaZulu-Natal
, focusing on the underlying dualism
in Western culture - such as Platonic
vs Aristotelian
philosophy, classicism
vs romanticism
and reform
vs revolution
in modern politics. Following the Soweto
uprising in 1976, he became an active artist and journalist linked to the anti-apartheid movement
(UDF
and ECC
).
His working life was initially devoted to art, cultural history, journalism and teaching in Grahamstown
and Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town.
In 1988 he joined the South African National Gallery
in Cape Town, later transformed into the Iziko South African Museum
. In his capacity as Head of Publications he made Hoerikwaggo: Images of Table Mountain, an exhibition about the ever-shifting European perceptions of the South African landscape. The book produced for this exhibition has had several reprints. His promotion to Head of Exhibitions at Iziko provided broader working relationships with artists, historians, archeologists and anthropologists. This experience contributed to the next phase in his life.
Nicolaas Vergunst resigned in 2005 to write Knot of Stone
, leaving South Africa in the same year. Knot of Stone has been published by Arena Books in the United Kingdom
and the United States
in 2011.
Vergunst is married to Ellen Berends, a Dutch diplomat with whom he has lived in Cape Town, Kiev
and Kinshasa
. They currently live in Strasbourg
where she is ambassador of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe
. Vergunst has two sons, Thomas and Francis, and a daughter Andrea.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, 1 September 1958) has been an artist, teacher, designer, curator and journalist. He is best known as the author of Knot of Stone
Knot of Stone
Knot of Stone: the day that changed South Africa’s history is a 2011 intellectual mystery novel written by South African/Dutch author Nicolaas Vergunst.-Plot summary:...
: the day that changed South Africa’s history.
Biography
Born in Cape Town of Dutch parents who emigrated to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
after the Second World War, Nicolaas Vergunst grew up in a post-Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
environment that became increasingly divided by apartheid. The tension between Afrikaner nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and English liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
has had a lasting influence on him.
Vergunst studied art and cultural history in Stellenbosch and KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, focusing on the underlying dualism
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
in Western culture - such as Platonic
Platonic
Plato's influence on Western culture was so profound that several different concepts are linked by being called "platonic" or Platonist, for accepting some assumptions of Platonism, but which do not imply acceptance of that philosophy as a whole....
vs Aristotelian
Aristotelianism
Aristotelianism is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work of Aristotle. The works of Aristotle were initially defended by the members of the Peripatetic school, and, later on, by the Neoplatonists, who produced many commentaries on Aristotle's writings...
philosophy, classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
vs romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
and reform
Reform
Reform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....
vs revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
in modern politics. Following the Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
uprising in 1976, he became an active artist and journalist linked to the anti-apartheid movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
(UDF
UDF
- Aviation :* UHF Direction Finder, a kind of radio direction finding * Unducted fan, a type of jet engine* User Development Fee - Airport Tax- Computer Science :* Uniqueness Database Files, a Windows XP Professional configuration text file...
and ECC
ECC
-Companies:* ECC , Education through Communication for the Community, a Japanese company* Electric Car Corporation plc, a British adapter and seller of electric cars* English China Clays, an English company-Education:...
).
His working life was initially devoted to art, cultural history, journalism and teaching in Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
and Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town.
In 1988 he joined the South African National Gallery
South African National Gallery
The South African National Gallery is the national art gallery of South Africa located in Cape Town. The collection began in 1872 with the donation of Sir Thomas Butterworth's personal gallery....
in Cape Town, later transformed into the Iziko South African Museum
Iziko South African Museum
The Iziko SA Museum is a South African national museum located in Cape Town. The museum was founded in 1825, the first in the country. It has been on its present site in the Company's Garden since 1897...
. In his capacity as Head of Publications he made Hoerikwaggo: Images of Table Mountain, an exhibition about the ever-shifting European perceptions of the South African landscape. The book produced for this exhibition has had several reprints. His promotion to Head of Exhibitions at Iziko provided broader working relationships with artists, historians, archeologists and anthropologists. This experience contributed to the next phase in his life.
Nicolaas Vergunst resigned in 2005 to write Knot of Stone
Knot of Stone
Knot of Stone: the day that changed South Africa’s history is a 2011 intellectual mystery novel written by South African/Dutch author Nicolaas Vergunst.-Plot summary:...
, leaving South Africa in the same year. Knot of Stone has been published by Arena Books in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2011.
Vergunst is married to Ellen Berends, a Dutch diplomat with whom he has lived in Cape Town, Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. They currently live in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
where she is ambassador of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
. Vergunst has two sons, Thomas and Francis, and a daughter Andrea.