Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month
Outside In | July 2022
In 2022 Outside In - the UK wide charity supporting artists working outside mainstream channels - recruited a new Artist Advisory Group. After becoming part of the AAG McLachlan was interviewed as the Outside In’ monthly feature:
Photography as access and agency
Mclachlan describes herself first and foremost as “a disabled artist who works with photography,” highlighting photography’s accessibility and versatility:
"The digital camera became an affordable and accessible tool which allowed me to create within any environment and at any pace."
She also sees photography as a way to reclaim time and narrative:
"The act of creating can allow us reclamation of time, identity and narrative. Photography particularly is so often described as capturing moments of time but for me it has been a way to reclaim that time. Disability can take many things, but time is one of the great griefs and creating throughout moments in which you have a loss of control has allowed me to place myself within a form of history that has been curated on my own terms."
Challenging representation
Mclachlan’s work interrogates how photography has historically represented disability:
"Historically much of the imagery of disability has been carved through an abled perspective which doesn’t necessarily reflect the narrative of those they are photographing alongside our wider lived experience. I hope to build awareness and educate whilst highlighting the way in which digital photography is allowing this power dynamic within photography to break."
Her process often focuses on “finding the new within the familiar”—working within familiar spaces while experimenting with tools and technology to create new ways of seeing:
"My photography often acts as a backdrop to build a wider conversation which aims to challenge perspectives and break down barriers."
Community, access, and advocacy
Beyond her own practice, Mclachlan founded Scope Photography, enabling people with long-term health conditions to develop skills, confidence, and creative agency. She described joined the Outside In Artist Advisory Group as:
"I feel privileged to be part of the group and I’m looking forward to hearing other perspectives and ideas. I hope that we can contribute to expanding opportunity and access within the arts whilst highlighting the value within alternative pathways into the arts."
Key milestones and ambitions
Mclachlan reflects on her own journey navigating mainstream arts spaces without formal higher education:
"Gaining employment within arts organisations as someone without a degree has been a standout moment for me. It’s hard to empathise the difficulty of accessing opportunity when structures of access are not designed for you to succeed."
She highlights the importance of alternative education and representation:
"Sadly, it is still rare to find others within mainstream arts spaces without higher education, but I work to be a representation of the necessity and succession for alternative education with the hope to help contribute in a small way to a wider change."
Looking ahead, she advocates for equity and accessibility in the arts:
"We are told throughout history that the arts is a space that celebrates difference but the lack of diversity and accessibility within mainstream arts and education highlights institutes failing to deliver this ethos. My work aims to challenge perspectives and break down barriers whilst highlighting the value within alternative pathways to the arts."
