Neil Wells

Neil Wells is a retired Chartered Accountant and Information Technologist, living in south Somerset. His professional specialist subjects included Information Design, and the psychology of organisational change in which he holds a master’s degree.

Born in London in the 1950's, Neil began his working life in the printing industry, around Farringdon Road and Fleet Street. Throughout his adult life he has been researching and collecting book illustrations, printed work, and original art by artists associated with the Curwen Press. He has previously contributed materials and information to monographs and exhibitions.

He is particularly interested in the commercial and graphic work of Paul Nash, John Piper, and Graham Sutherland: both in how their work for publicity/advertising and book illustration informed their fine art practice and vice versa; and in their parts in the so-called ‘neo-romantic’ movement.

He has contributed to the forthcoming film 'An Outbreak of Talent' by Thomas Volker, in which he talks about Paul Nash as a war artist and about Nash's attitude toward commercial art. [https://www.anoutbreakoftalent.com/portfolio-item/neil-wells/]

Accidental Alchemy is his first book.