The idealistic art student, the starving painter in the garret, the icon that died too young: these are romantic stereotypes that sell headlines.
But these popular tropes leave no space for artists as they age. Can one retire from being a painter or a sculptor? When does a career in art end? What of legacy and fame? And what happens if time tampers with the body needed to combine manual labour and deep, critical reflection?
Beneath the art world's perceived glitz, there are difficult realities that need to be confronted. 'If you're an ageing artist, are you still painting? Do you have the support of a studio to carry on?' asks Millie Jason Foster, director of Gillian Jason Gallery, which opened in 1980 and was the UK's first space focused solely on female artists. 'If it's just you, it's a whole different story.'