Mykl Wells

I was born in the mid-sixties in Beloit Wisconsin where I lived for a whopping three days. My parents were graduate students studying art history and geology. From the get go I was immersed in a world of art and science. I believe that this has left a rather indelible finger-print on the person I am today.

My whole life I’ve gravitated towards art and it is the medium through which I filter my experience. I found school horribly boring and wasn’t a particularly good student. In high school I spent most of my time either listening to punk rock or lost among the stacks of the University of Arizona’s libraries.

I spent my early twenties in a manic haze traveling the world. Spending two years in Europe and North Africa. I lived in Fez, Morocco for six months. I often found my way to Bristol England where I had friends and could always pick up some work. In 1987 I returned to the States and Tucson, my home town. I would work for six months at some menial job then spend the next six months traveling in Mexico and occasionally Central America. Mexico holds a special place in my heart and it’s culture has deeply influenced me and my art.

In 1993 I met my wife and settled down in Tucson.I did not go to university, though I often snuck into lectures most of my education has been because I am an obsessive autodidact. I’ve had a number of jobs and careers over the course of my life spending from 1997 to 2007 working as the I.T. Director for a medical supply company. The company sold to the plastic surgery market. I know more about liposuction than I care to admit. When I left I decided it was time that I became serious about being an artist. Through all of this the common thread of my life has been art. It’s why I get up in the morning.

Popular Projects

Snowdrop - 18 foot tall cardboard head and winner of Cartasia 2012 in Lucca Italy.

GLOW! - Southern Arizona’s Annual Illuminated art extravaganza.

The Lantern Project - Beautiful cardboard lanterns that seemed to take over my life but the results were worth it.

Chimera - A monumental cardboard and resin sculpture

The Time Machine - A collaborative project involving seven artists in four different cities coming together on the Playa to make art.

I am loath to write an artist's statement. I’m not the kind of artist who carefully plans and executes paintings and sculpture. I work better and produce better work spontaneously. I am not a lazy artist nor do I have time for those who are, I put endless hours into my work both trying to improve technically and produce work which is compelling.

Art is visceral, a concept grabs you or it doesn’t. There are a few things I want you to know and I’ll spare you the rest. Almost everything I use comes out of dumpsters. The surfaces I paint on, much of the paper in the wire sculpture, even the oil paints! You may wish for its hasty return to the dumpster after perusing the offerings.

However, if you have the discerning taste, moral caliber, towering intellect, good looks and mountains of cash that it takes to truly enjoy my work, I want you to know that this garbage is affordable and odor free. I like those dirty things that lounge about the periphery of our minds. Mystic carrots, axe wielding bunnies, kittens performing pre-internet searches, it’s all just a bit twisted. I had a lot of fun doing it. Doing something because it’s joyous and wonderful and playful seems like a great reason to me. I hope that some of that joy rubs off on you and leaves an indelible stain on your brain.