Anthony Sully - art and design career since 1958
Anthony Sully — art and design career since 1958
Proposed lecture by ANTHONY SULLY
EDUCATION
Born in London during the 2nd world war.
My mother and I made homeless and were taken in by the Womens’ Voluntary Service when I was 8 years old.
Scholarship to Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire.
Hammersmith College of Art and Building for 4 years followed by 3 years studying interior design at the Royal College of Art. I was fortunate to have been taught by some of the leading artists and designers of the day.
1951 Festival of Britain. This time was so inspirational for me and I realized that I was not alone in such endeavours. The chief architect of the Festival was Sir Hugh Casson who became my professor at the Royal College of Art (RCA). In 1963 the Brewers Society sponsored the RCA’s design schools to investigate the world of pubs and develop ideas for the future. I proposed a pub of the future entitled ‘Pub ‘84’ inspired by George Orwell’s book ‘1984’ published in 1949 and for which I was awarded a silver medal.
PRACTICE
I was conscious that interior design was the junior partner to architecture and also had the unfortunate tag of ‘decoration’ born out by people who specialized in interior decoration. I chose to work for architects when I graduated as I could see greater potential for design opportunities. This resulted in working on offices, in retail, hospitality, residential, exhibitions and banks. This included the Royal Mint, IBM, London Stock Exchange and Harlow Development Corporation. A key project was the conversion of a congregational chapel in Monmouth ‘Glendower House’ into a home and studio for my family and which was featured on three TV programmes and won various awards.
TEACHING
Because of my drive and commitment to give interior design comparable integrity to architecture I specialized in the theoretical processes that define the core of the discipline and the research that goes with it.
Senior appointments in various universities in the UK and the USA to invigorate their interior design courses. In the UK I founded the first Association of Interior Design Degree Courses (now Interior Educators) in 1983, and I was also elected to serve on the CNAA (Council of Academic Awards).
ACADEMIC AUTHOR
Utilising my teaching/research skills with the experience of building things I found that I could write and express ideas in a way that became a common learning platform. So far I have written 5 books covering interior design history, theory, conceptual basis, housing and architecture.
ARTIST
My skills in drawing were always evident throughout my career, but it was not until I retired from practice that I started to exhibit my paintings. I am currently developing the idea of wall sculptures in painted wood based upon certain geometric shapes harnessed from my interior design background. Previous exhibitions:
Chippenham Museum – July 2025 One man show
White Horse Bookshop and Gallery, Marlborough. – March 2026 One man show
