In conversation with Elli and Millie Jason Foster
“No septuagenarian artist should have to weather the humility of being ‘found’ after years of working unrecognised.”
- Elli & Millie Jason Foster
Image: Elli and Millie Jason Foster.
Co-directed by powerhouse mother-daughter team Elli Jason Foster and Millie Jason Foster, Gillian Jason Gallery – situated in London’s chic Fitzrovia neighbourhood – is the first ever physical UK gallery space dedicated to all female artists.
Founded in 1982 by its namesake Gillian Jason – Elli’s mother and Millie’s grandmother – the gallery is a story of female lineage and the cross generational mission to promote female and female identifying artists. Since the very start, Gillian Jason Gallery has a been a pioneer of feminist history presenting artists from across the generations in provocative and enlightening exhibitions that challenge what it is to be female.
What makes the gallery stand out is its commitment to a wider spectrum of expressions and to cross cultural and interdisciplinary art forms. Elli grew up in a performing household, whereby Gillian was a ballerina turned opera singer and Gillian’s husband and true partner in life, Neville, was an actor. Millie grew up with two parents in the arts, but more behind the scenes. While Elli followed Gillian’s love of art with her first job at Christie’s before venturing into the film industry, Millie worked in Investment Banking and tech start-ups in order to learn how to run a successful business in a more creative field, quickly realising her passion was in championing the female voice. Passionate about sharing art world voices with a wider audience she also established a network called the New Vanguards, which is committed to young collectors who are looking for guidance in what can be a complex collector market investing in early career talent.
The gallery has exhibited at Eye of the Collector and LAPADA and works with many private and institutional collections with a broad artist network across the UK and the US.
Gillian Jason Gallery was founded in 1982 – what would you say are the key ways in which the gallery has evolved since then?
Elli & Millie: The joy of an artistic mind is to have vision, and that vision keeps evolving as we grow and learn. The art world that Gillian belonged to back in 1982 was a much less progressive business world than today. Gillian stayed on top of her game by consistently championing new ideas and underrepresented artists. This remains true at Gillian Jason Gallery today and the changes that have taken place have evolved through consistent pioneering. The artworld that we belong to is one that takes on the political and social strands of society today, and the art we champion tells those stories through images.
And what would you say are the most important features the gallery has remained true to?
Elli: We have to stay true to our beliefs and then the vision comes naturally. Gillian saw the merit in working with women artists at a time when no major UK institution would have dreamed of mounting a solo show. Millie and I are still true to that today.
Gillian Jason Gallery works like an incubator to support early career artists whilst presenting them alongside some of the best-known female artists of our time. What are the benefits of working in this way? Are there any difficulties to this?
Elli & Millie: We work in several different capacities. The fast-paced emerging art market requires the gallery to turn over a large number of artists within a 12-month period. Indeed, we sometimes can’t keep up with the sheer volume of amazing artists that are painting today. We have a selection of legacy paintings by well-known women artists and pairing these artists alongside the emerging artists allows the younger artists to acknowledge and feel a part of the art history that came before them. This thread of generations of women artists painting throughout the centuries has been so overwritten or written out if you like that exhibitions like Beyond Figuration, Then and Now is an homage, a recognition, of the new order of the canon of art history where women are absolutely in the picture.
Image: Gillian Jason Gallery. Image courtesy of Gillian Jason Gallery.
How would you like to see the gallery evolve over the next five or ten years?
Elli & Millie: We would like to see Gillian Jason Gallery help shape the careers of the artists we represent and work with. Most important to our strategy is to see women artists valued right through their career from beginning to end. No septuagenarian artist should have to weather the humility of being ‘found’ after years of working unrecognised. We would also like to see parity of prices with male counterparts. In addition, we would like to welcome a new and well informed collector base.
Quickfire 5
Any upcoming projects of note that you can discuss?
Elli & Millie: We are thrilled to be closely supporting Women in Revolt! opening at Tate Britain in November this year. In addition we are delighted that GJG’s next two exhibitions coming up for the Autumn are showcasing the first solo show for contemporary portrait painter Olivia Valentine, and Megan Baker’s long-awaited long anticipated second show, which will run during and beyond London’s Frieze period in October.
What have been the most rewarding moments of your career thus far?
Elli & Millie: Most rewarding has to be seeing the sheer volume of support for a gallery dedicated to art by women. Gillian is unfortunately no longer with us, but she would be thrilled to see her daughter and granddaughter working together in the business that she started nearly forty years ago.
What’s the best advice you have ever received?
Elli: The best advice I have ever received… listen to your heart. After that everything falls into place. If we love an artist then we can sell an artist.
Millie: Spend your precious time focusing on what you do best; outsource time-intensive tasks where someone else can do a better job. It’s a very process-driven mantra but it helps me set goals for the business and drive forward productivity in a very hectic marketplace.
Who are you outside of the ‘office’?
Elli: Outside the office I am definitely Mum. I somehow get robbed of that role when I am at work and when/if I can down tools, I love to spend quality time with all three of my children.
Millie: I’m the same inside and outside of the office. I do what I love so my temperament and sense of humour maintains whether I am networking at an event or at dinner with friends. I definitely like to spend my time travelling, looking at art, and eating good food in the company of others.
What do you love about London?
Elli: London for me is the most fabulous toy shop. I could play all day whether it’s looking at art at the Tate Gallery, eating fantastic food in almost any district of the City or shopping in Liberty’s. The diversity of the city makes it a rollercoaster for the senses.
Millie: London is the city of creativity and hub of culture. I can travel all around the world to visit exciting new places, but London is always where I will call home. It has a vibrant atmosphere, a rich history, and an unparalleled diversity of people.
The exhibition “Face to Face II” runs until 29 July 2023.
Next up is a solo show by Olivia Valentine, running 7 September – 7 October 2023.
Website: www.gillianjason.com
Instagram: @gillianjasongallery
