John Wells (1907-2000)
John Wells, born in London, qualified as a doctor in 1930 and practised medicine on St Marys, Scilly Ises, during the war. While studying to be a doctor he took evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art 1927-28. After meeting Christopher Wood and Ben and Winifred Nicholson he studied for a while at the Stanhope Forbes School of Painting, Newlyn. His constructivist work was influenced by his meeting Ben and later Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo. He moved to Newlyn in 1945 taking over Stanhope Forbes former studio. Increasingly marginalised in recent years he was regarded by his peers and most notably Patrick Heron ‘as one of the most important abstract painters of his generation in Britain today’ (1950)

Penwith member. Founding member in 1949
Further information. John Wells by Matthew Rowe