Anthony Chandos Russell
Encyclopedia
Anthony Russell is a British art historian, social commentator and artist.
He is the son of the artist Rodney F Russell
and his third wife, the Argentine Doreen Gildea-Keereweer, attending Bryanston School
and read art history at Oxford Brookes, before joining Lawrence Fine Art in the West Country as an auctioneer. In London he ran William Tillman Ltd in St James's Street and spent six years as a consultant with Luke Hughes
, advising the Church of England
on interior furnishing, becoming an authority on modern church seating.
Russell is well known as a non-violence activist, working in conjunction with the Burma Campaign UK
and other organisations and as the author of 'Evolving the Spirit - From Democracy to Peace'. His latest exhibition of paintings was at the Guggleton Gallery in Dorset.
Surrey, the forth child of the artist & poet Rodney Fryer Russell
and Doreen Gildea-Keereweer. Rodney was a second cousin of Dame Sybil Thorndike (who wrote the forward for his book of poems) and the grandson of the eminent dental surgeon Samuel Hutchinson. He is also the direct descendent of the noted West Country smugger Isaac Gulliver
. Doreen, whom he met on the island of Mallorca
, came from a prominent Argentine family. Her aunt Ethel Cherry was asked by Eva Perón
to translate her book 'My Mission in Life' and her great aunt was the sister-in-law of President José Félix Uriburu
, responsible for instigating the 'Infamous Decade
' that ended Argentine democracy. Her great great uncle Sir James Gildea
, founded SSAFA, an ancestor she is reputed to share with John Lennon
. However, after five years the marriage broke down and Russell was brought up predominantly by his father's forth wife, the artist Pamela (née Till). Pamela was herself the granddaughter of the composer August Chevalier (brother of the actor Albert Chevalier
) and her uncle was the Maltese prince, Eugene Lavalette Pariseau. A prominent catholic, she studied painting under Pietro Annigoni
in Florence
and was for a while National Link for the co-workers of Mother Teresa
.
Head Boy of his Dorset
preparatory school (Motcombe Grange) Anthony Russell won a travel scholarship at Bryanston School
and rowed for the school's 1st VIII. He grew up at Manston
House in Dorset with his father (his forth wife Pamela) and three children from Rodney's second marriage to Elizabeth Shettle; Virginia (who married the financier and church commissioner
Gavin Oldham and who's daughter is the Shakespearian actress Marianne Oldham; James (who became a devotee of Krishna
and an original disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada), married Shyam Scheuch (the granddaughter of King Mohammed V
of Morocco) and lives in Florida
and David (a renowned drugs counselor
, who died of an opportunistic infection
in 1997).
.
Trustee of the Summer Music Society of Dorset, bringing world-class musicians to Dorset.
Founder and managing director of 'Travel by Design', providing privileged access to fine country houses to help support them.
In 2007, he created 'The Chandos', committed to 'cooperation, understanding and peace' through the arts.
Russell spent several years leading American university students on bespoke tours of Europe and now lectures for NADFAS on a regular basis.
In 2010, he wrote the chapter 'The Appropriate Alternative to Fixed Seating' for The Ecclesiological Society's publication on church seating ('Pew, Bench and Chairs')
The British Museum employs Russell to host outreach events and visiting lecturers and his own lecture program includes presentations to the Church of England, architects, national societies, schools and charities.
He has traveled much of the world undertaking research, which included voluntary work in Zimbabwe
(where he interviewed Didymus Mutasa
) and Argentina. In Australia
, Russell was asked to research scuba diving
for the book 'The Ultimate Australian Adventure Guide' (1995).
He has published articles on architecture and spirituality and is a leading advocate of the non-violence movement. He is the author of 'Evolving the Spirit - From Democracy to Peace', with contributions from the likes of the BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson and the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague
.
He is a passionate peace and human-rights activist and supporter of racial
and sexual equality.
to Dorset with Oliver Letwin MP
.
He has been involved with the Burma Campaign UK
promoting awareness of Burma's human rights.
He is a staunch advocate of non-violence and an anti-war
campaigner. As a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi
, he promotes an anti-imperialist approach, where he sees the West as consistently paying only lip service to democratic principles. He believes that only strengthened international law, in the form of the UN, ICC
and the IMF, can bring lasting peace in the face of continued 'vigilante' imposition by powerful countries, in the traditional imperialist mode.
All the great faiths of the world he argues, share a 'golden threat' of truth, which is all that really matters, as the rest in "mere politics".
In 'Evolving the Spirit', he argues that peace in the world comes from international cooperation on one level but just as importantly, from each of us as individuals. His predominant belief is that change from within individuals, encouraged by a disciplined life, fosters a ripple effect to others. This is achieved by assuming the "dignity of the mature"; "acting not reacting"; having no enemies and not judging others or taking revenge. Where one can change their position the theory goes, none around can maintain an unaltered position.
A life-long supporter of the environmental movement (claiming to have been recycling before Prince Charles), he is not otherwise inclined towards party politics. He was elected (2010), Tree Officer for the Brockley
Society, Likewise, he considers himself spiritual without membership to a particular faith. While critical of established hierarchies and institutional corruption, he is not anti monarchical as such, believing a constitutional monarchy
to be a relatively evolved political development.
From his work with 'The Chandos', he aims to encourage the "culture of peace" through collaboration with the many non-violent organisations, to foster what he terms a "collective momentum".
) and Dorset and travels extensively.
Lectures;
Further information; www.thechandos.com
References
He is the son of the artist Rodney F Russell
Rodney Fryer Russell
Rodney Fryer Russell was a well known West Country watercolourist and portrait painter and poet. Born in Dorset, England, he was the great-great-great grandson of Isaac Gulliver and the second cousin of Dame Sybil Thorndike. In 1950 he won a scholarship to Paris and lived in London, West Sussex,...
and his third wife, the Argentine Doreen Gildea-Keereweer, attending Bryanston School
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston. It was founded in 1928...
and read art history at Oxford Brookes, before joining Lawrence Fine Art in the West Country as an auctioneer. In London he ran William Tillman Ltd in St James's Street and spent six years as a consultant with Luke Hughes
Luke Hughes (furniture designer)
Luke Hughes is one of the UK’s leading furniture designers and an accomplished mountaineer. He and his practice have designed and made furniture for 50 Oxbridge colleges, 70 parish churches, 11 cathedrals, 5 Royal Palaces , 2 synagogues and 900 corporate boardrooms, including Diageo Unilever,...
, advising the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
on interior furnishing, becoming an authority on modern church seating.
Russell is well known as a non-violence activist, working in conjunction with the Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
and other organisations and as the author of 'Evolving the Spirit - From Democracy to Peace'. His latest exhibition of paintings was at the Guggleton Gallery in Dorset.
Early years and education
Anthony Chandos Russell was born on 28 February 1961 in GuildfordGuildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
Surrey, the forth child of the artist & poet Rodney Fryer Russell
Rodney Fryer Russell
Rodney Fryer Russell was a well known West Country watercolourist and portrait painter and poet. Born in Dorset, England, he was the great-great-great grandson of Isaac Gulliver and the second cousin of Dame Sybil Thorndike. In 1950 he won a scholarship to Paris and lived in London, West Sussex,...
and Doreen Gildea-Keereweer. Rodney was a second cousin of Dame Sybil Thorndike (who wrote the forward for his book of poems) and the grandson of the eminent dental surgeon Samuel Hutchinson. He is also the direct descendent of the noted West Country smugger Isaac Gulliver
Isaac Gulliver
The name of three generations of Gullivers from Semington in Wiltshire, England during the 18th and early 19th century; Isaac Gulliver was so successful as a smuggler on the south coast that he came to control its length from Lymington on The Solent in Hampshire, through Dorset to Torbay on the...
. Doreen, whom he met on the island of Mallorca
Mallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
, came from a prominent Argentine family. Her aunt Ethel Cherry was asked by Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
to translate her book 'My Mission in Life' and her great aunt was the sister-in-law of President José Félix Uriburu
José Félix Uriburu
General José Félix Benito Uriburu y Uriburu was the first de facto President of Argentina, achieved through a military coup, from September 6, 1930 to February 20, 1932.-Biography:...
, responsible for instigating the 'Infamous Decade
Infamous Decade
The Infamous Decade in Argentina is the name given to the period of time that started in 1930 with the coup d'état against President Hipólito Yrigoyen by José Félix Uriburu...
' that ended Argentine democracy. Her great great uncle Sir James Gildea
James Gildea
Colonel Sir James Gildea GBE KCVO CB was a British Army Militia officer and philanthropist who founded the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association....
, founded SSAFA, an ancestor she is reputed to share with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. However, after five years the marriage broke down and Russell was brought up predominantly by his father's forth wife, the artist Pamela (née Till). Pamela was herself the granddaughter of the composer August Chevalier (brother of the actor Albert Chevalier
Albert Chevalier
Albert Onesime Britannicus Gwathveoyd Louis Chevalier was an English comedian and actor.-Early life:Albert Chevalier was born in the Royal Crescent, in London's Notting Hill...
) and her uncle was the Maltese prince, Eugene Lavalette Pariseau. A prominent catholic, she studied painting under Pietro Annigoni
Pietro Annigoni
Pietro Annigoni was an Italian portrait and fresco painter, who became world famous after painting Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.-Life:Born in Milan in 1910, Annigoni was a painter who was influenced by the Italian Renaissance....
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and was for a while National Link for the co-workers of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
.
Head Boy of his Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
preparatory school (Motcombe Grange) Anthony Russell won a travel scholarship at Bryanston School
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston. It was founded in 1928...
and rowed for the school's 1st VIII. He grew up at Manston
Manston, Dorset
Manston is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale two miles east of Sturminster Newton. The village has a population of 135 .-External links:*...
House in Dorset with his father (his forth wife Pamela) and three children from Rodney's second marriage to Elizabeth Shettle; Virginia (who married the financier and church commissioner
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
Gavin Oldham and who's daughter is the Shakespearian actress Marianne Oldham; James (who became a devotee of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and an original disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada), married Shyam Scheuch (the granddaughter of King Mohammed V
Mohammed V of Morocco
Mohammed V was Sultan of Morocco from 1927–53, exiled from 1953–55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King from 1957 to 1961. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef, or Son of Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded to the throne...
of Morocco) and lives in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and David (a renowned drugs counselor
Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors practice mental health counseling which is a dynamic, holistic, strengths-based and psychoeducational discipline born in the late 1970s when several mental health professionals realized that the master’s degree level counselors working in community settings lacked a...
, who died of an opportunistic infection
Opportunistic infection
An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens, particularly opportunistic pathogens—those that take advantage of certain situations—such as bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoan infections that usually do not cause disease in a healthy host, one with a healthy immune system...
in 1997).
Career and involvements
Founder and chairman of PASAS, a West Country anti-traffic campaign, run with Oliver Letwin MPOliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin MP FRSA is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of West Dorset...
.
Trustee of the Summer Music Society of Dorset, bringing world-class musicians to Dorset.
Founder and managing director of 'Travel by Design', providing privileged access to fine country houses to help support them.
In 2007, he created 'The Chandos', committed to 'cooperation, understanding and peace' through the arts.
Russell spent several years leading American university students on bespoke tours of Europe and now lectures for NADFAS on a regular basis.
In 2010, he wrote the chapter 'The Appropriate Alternative to Fixed Seating' for The Ecclesiological Society's publication on church seating ('Pew, Bench and Chairs')
The British Museum employs Russell to host outreach events and visiting lecturers and his own lecture program includes presentations to the Church of England, architects, national societies, schools and charities.
He has traveled much of the world undertaking research, which included voluntary work in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(where he interviewed Didymus Mutasa
Didymus Mutasa
Didymus Noel Edwin Mutasa is a Zimbabwean politician, currently serving as the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and as the Secretary for Administration of ZANU-PF.-Family background:...
) and Argentina. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Russell was asked to research scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
for the book 'The Ultimate Australian Adventure Guide' (1995).
He has published articles on architecture and spirituality and is a leading advocate of the non-violence movement. He is the author of 'Evolving the Spirit - From Democracy to Peace', with contributions from the likes of the BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson and the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
.
He is a passionate peace and human-rights activist and supporter of racial
Racial equality
Racial equality means different things in different contexts. It mostly deals with an equal regard to all races.It can refer to a belief in biological equality of all human races....
and sexual equality.
Politics and ethics
Russell has worked voluntarily on various good causes, including a traffic calming scheme and a campaign to bring Homeshare
Homeshare
Homeshare is the exchange of housing for help in the home. A householder, typically an older person with a spare room, offers free or low-cost accommodation to another person in exchange for an agreed level of support. The support may include companionship, shopping, household tasks, gardening,...
to Dorset with Oliver Letwin MP
Oliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin MP FRSA is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of West Dorset...
.
He has been involved with the Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
promoting awareness of Burma's human rights.
He is a staunch advocate of non-violence and an anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
campaigner. As a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, he promotes an anti-imperialist approach, where he sees the West as consistently paying only lip service to democratic principles. He believes that only strengthened international law, in the form of the UN, ICC
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
and the IMF, can bring lasting peace in the face of continued 'vigilante' imposition by powerful countries, in the traditional imperialist mode.
All the great faiths of the world he argues, share a 'golden threat' of truth, which is all that really matters, as the rest in "mere politics".
In 'Evolving the Spirit', he argues that peace in the world comes from international cooperation on one level but just as importantly, from each of us as individuals. His predominant belief is that change from within individuals, encouraged by a disciplined life, fosters a ripple effect to others. This is achieved by assuming the "dignity of the mature"; "acting not reacting"; having no enemies and not judging others or taking revenge. Where one can change their position the theory goes, none around can maintain an unaltered position.
A life-long supporter of the environmental movement (claiming to have been recycling before Prince Charles), he is not otherwise inclined towards party politics. He was elected (2010), Tree Officer for the Brockley
Brockley
Brockley is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross.It is covered by the London postcode districts SE4 and SE14.-History:...
Society, Likewise, he considers himself spiritual without membership to a particular faith. While critical of established hierarchies and institutional corruption, he is not anti monarchical as such, believing a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
to be a relatively evolved political development.
From his work with 'The Chandos', he aims to encourage the "culture of peace" through collaboration with the many non-violent organisations, to foster what he terms a "collective momentum".
Personal life
Russell lives with his long-time partner in London (BrockleyBrockley
Brockley is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross.It is covered by the London postcode districts SE4 and SE14.-History:...
) and Dorset and travels extensively.
Work
Books and articles;- 'The Spirit Evolution - From Democracy to Peace' (2011)
- 'The Ultimate Australian Adventure Guide' (contributor) (1995)
- 'Pews, Benches & Chairs - The Appropriate Alternative to Fixed Seating' (Contributor) (2011)
- 'Flexibility since the Battle of Ambridge.' Article for Church Building magazine (2007)
- 'The Finest Seating to Compliment the Finest Lighting.' Article for Church Building magazine (2006)
Lectures;
- Venice, Canaletto & his Rivals
- Blenheim Palace, The Agony & the Ecstasy
- Who Was Tutankhamun? The Boy King Behind the Greatest Treasures Ever Found
- The Power & Glory of Our Country Houses, Their Evolution & Changing Role
- The Mystery of Holbein's Ambassadors
- English Furniture Design Today - The Great Commissions of Luke Hughes
- Vincent Van Gogh, Madman or Genius
- The Virgins of the National Gallery London
- Beauty & the Beast, Our Parish Churches & the Modern Predicament
Further information; www.thechandos.com
References