About Look magazine | Art Gallery Society
As deputy editor of Look magazine, I copy-edited and proofread throughout the publication process.
Emma McLean | Writer + Editor
How can I help?
I am a copywriter and editor specialising in visual art, design and architecture. However, I am a generalist. No matter the subject, I am able to research, ask the right questions, simplify concepts, and delight readers with human-centred stories. I am also a copy-editor and proofreader who can help your writing shine.
Visit my writing and editing pages for examples, and contact me with your brief. No project is too big or small.
Featured editing
Explore publications I have provided editing services for.
Inside the World of Wonder - Goldi
I provided detailed jewellery captions for the exhibition catalogue, World of Wonder: Margot McKinney and proofread the overall text.
The National 4: Australian Art Now 2023
As an Editorial Assistant at Carriageworks, I copy-edited and proofread The National 4 catalogue.
Second Sight exhibition blog | The University of Queensland
As an addition to the exhibition, Second Sight, I proofread the following blog for The University of Queensland Art Museum.
Featured articles
Explore a selection of my writing below.
Longview by Studio Carson Kelly | The Local Project
While the Victorian terrace retained its charm, a 1960s addition at the rear of the property was in decline. Maintaining the terrace’s integrity, builder Verdecon removed the 60s add-on and skilfully excavated the tight corner site in order to create a basement level, which now hosts a warm family room. The architect also designed an extension which wraps gracefully around the terrace’s rear and side, allowing for more living space and opportunities to soak up sunshine throughout the year.
Ascen...
Ascen...
KONSTANTINA | Onespace Gallery
I meet with KONSTANTINA at the close of a fresh winter’s day. She sits within her studio, which lies just beyond the home she shares with her partner and three sons. Surrounded by trees and haloed
by a rosy sunset, the studio was built on Constantine’s terms with found timber and plenty of salvaged windows.
by a rosy sunset, the studio was built on Constantine’s terms with found timber and plenty of salvaged windows.
Painting pixels | Art Gallery of NSW
Looking around the shared space dotted with works-in-progress from paintings and soft sculptures to fashion design, I ask how she finds sharing her environment. ‘I really love it,’ she says. ‘When leaving art school, the first thing I missed was the community that it fosters. I like that I can walk into the next room and talk to somebody likeminded.’Connection is important for Warner and offers a healthy balance to her practice which dives deeply into the experience of isolation. ‘The fragmentat...
Three of a kind: colour artworks | Art Gallery Society
It’s got to be one of the most important things in an artist’s artillery: colour. If the colours aren’t right, an artwork just won’t sing. The below artists take interest in the placement of colours, how they offset each-other and interrelate.Antoni MiraldaColoured bread 1973Miralda agitates our colour associations in this installation. He asks, ‘Think about why these colours? Why is it easier for me to eat the yellow than the blue? Bread baked in unexpected colours disconnects us from a predict...
I couldn’t recommend Emma McLean more highly. She has written catalogue essays for a number of Puzzle Art Garage artists and exhibitions over the years, and I’ve always been so impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of her writing. Emma approaches every project with genuine care and curiosity, taking the time to speak with artists, understand their practice and process, and ask thoughtful questions that allow her to really engage with their work. Her writing is always insightful, sensitive and beautifully considered.
Emma is also incredibly reliable, professional and such a pleasure to work with. I would happily work with her again and wholeheartedly recommend her to any organisation looking for a thoughtful and highly skilled writer and editor.
Luna Wenxin Xu
Founding Director & Curator, Puzzle Art Garage