William Arnold (b.1983)

williamlawrencearnold@gmail.com 


William Arnold is an experimental, conceptual and documentary photographer, interested in the layers of human and natural history that comprise the making of the landscape, and the role played by the photograph in documenting time and change—the subjective and objective politics of places and their histories.

“William Arnold is an experimentalist, probing photography’s processes to break new ground… In these perilous times, his work considers the importance of ecologies, the everyday and the indispensable forces of nature.”

- Val Williams (Professor of the History and Culture of Photography, London College of Communication)


His first monograph Suburban Herbarium was published by Uniformbooks (2020) and reprinted (2022) with work  showcased in various publications and periodicals including: The Guardian, New Scientist, De Standaard, Source and Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine. 

The book SUNSPOTS (2023) was released on William Arnold’s own label Bare Pipes Press. The book and a print from the series is held in the collection of the National Art Library, V & A  Museum, London along with the 12 part zine series THE OCEAN WILL HAVE US ALL (2025)

They live and work in west Cornwall, UK where they are one half of the Some Interesting Apples research project concerning the propagation of novel Malus cultivars from chance seedlings. A long-term tenent of a large vegetable garden they are striving towards a degree of self-sufficiency while conducting horticultural experiments, which depending on the context can be presented as part of an exciting expanded art practice, or exercise in self-inflicted vegetal insanity. 

William teaches photography at Falmouth University. 

An abridged CV can be found below. 



Education:

MA Photography - Photography & The Land (University of Plymouth 2014)

BA (hons) History (University of Lancaster 2004)


Publications:

SUNSPOTS (2023) Bare Pipes Press - with essay Mortal Remains by Professor  Val Williams.
ISBN 978-1-3999-4434-2 

Suburban Herbarium (2020) Uniformbooks -  with foreword by Mark Cocker and essay by Professor Val Williams.
ISBN 978 1 910010 23 5

The Last Hundred w/Aaron Kent (2019) Guillemot Press

March 2018 - CURCURBITA MAXIMUS on Antler Press 

February 2016 - Sacred & Absurd: Votive Offerings At The West Penwith Holy Wells (Antler Press)




Selected recent press, online & print:

Some Interesting Apples - BBC Radio Interview  (2025)

Source Photographic Review. Issue 112. Review of Sunspots by Colin Pantall (2023)

Pioneers - Article for Apples & People - Hereford Cider Museum/ National Trust  (2022)

‘Graft Scars’ included in Caitlin De Silvey’s essay Becoming Apple: Woven In Vegetal Fabric | On Plant Becomings, Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg, 2022.

Photography & Culture, Vol 14, Issue 4 (2021) 

New Scientist, Issue 3306, October 31st 2020  Suburban Herbarium (Print & online) 

Source Photographic Review. Issue 102. Review of Suburban Herbarium by Clare Grafik 

Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine, Tin Can-Firmament & Quarantine Herbarium (October 2020) 

Suburban Herbarium centre-fold feature De Standaard, Belgium,  June 17th,  2020

Suburban Herbarium centre-fold feature The Guardian, June 2nd 2020

Caught By The River - review by Rob St. John, May 2020

September 2017 - Photo Primitive, Manor Magazine, Issue 21

August 2017 - Financial Times Weekend 'Possessed: The Dangers of The Digital Home' (Paywall) Photographs from Living Spaces for an article by Edwin Heathcote

October 2016 - Oh Comely (Issue 31) 'To The Edgelands' feature on Suburban Herbarium by Frances Ambler

June 2016 - Interview with Diva Harris at Caught By The River

April 2016 - Review of Sacred & Absurd book by Ian Humberstone




Recent Exhibitions :

2025

Sunspots | The Last Hundred - Hweg (SOLO)

Unwilding Apples - ESI, University of Exeter (SOLO)

2024

Ammeth - Farming In Cornwall, Falmouth Art Gallery 

Mother of The Sea - Orkney International Science Festival 

2023

Sunspots - Kestle Barton Apple Store (SOLO) 

Tides - An Tobar, Isle of Mull (SOLO)

Beyond Silver - curated by LAPC at Hive Gallery, Birmingham 

2022

SEEDHENGE - Special Installation at Kestle Barton (SOLO)

Veg Et Alia - Grays Wharf, Penryn (SOLO)

Habitats as Heritage - Kresen Kernow. Curated by Jane Darke & Andrew Tebbs.  

2021 

Thresholds (The Unamed) Anima Mundi (Online Mixed Exhibition) 

Tides - An Lanntair, Stornoway  

Some Interesting Apples - Wild & Seedling Pomological Exhibition and research at Kestle Barton in collobaration with James Fergusson 

2020

Newlyn & Exchange - The Engine Room at Exchange - various works (SOLO)

Radical Botany - Eden Project - works from Suburban Herbarium 

2019

Sea Garden at RAMM, Exeter - works from Holdfast  - a collaboration with Mollie Goldstrom

Library of Plants - Engine Room, Exchange Gallery - collected works by particpants in my public workshop of the same name. 

Official Secrets | Cauliflower Fields at Backlane West with Robin Dowell and Mollie Goldstrom.

2018

Anima Mundi - Mixed Winter Exhibition

Suburban Herbarium - Kestle Barton  (SOLO) 

Muir Is Tir (Sea & Land) An Lanntair, Stornoway & Edinburgh College of Art

In Search of Darkness - Project Space, Grizedale Sculpture Park in association with Lumen Studios

2017

'O' - artdotearth - Dartington

Shadows II: Natural Transformations - London College of Communication

Photo Pioneer | Photo Primitive - St. John on Bethnal Green - in association with Photography and The Archive Research Centre, UAL, London


2014

MAKING TIME: New Photographic Constructions - Penwith Society Gallery, St. Ives - co-curator and exhibitor (Nick Hughes, Andy Hughes, Hannah Guy, William Arnold, Oliver Raymond-Barker)

Beyond The Camera - Pingyao International Photography Festival, China

2013

Royal Photographic Society - 156th Annual International Print Exhibition

2012

Magnum Photos, London – IdeasTap Photographic Award 




Accolades, awards etc.

Cultivator (European Regional Development Fund, Arts Council England & Cornwall Council) Creative Investment Grant  (2022) 

Arts Council England - DYCP Grant Awarded (2020)

Awen Medal for The Last Hundred - Gorsedh Kernow (2020)

Royal Photographic Society - 156th Annual International Print Exhibition (selected artist - 2 photographs)

Magnum Photos - Ideas Tap Photographic Award - Finalist and Conceptual Category Winner (2011)


Writing

Review of Botanical by Samuel Zeller (Hoxton Mini Press) for Caught by The River (2018)

Pioneers - Wilding Apples of The Camborne & Redruth Mining District for Apples & People, Hereford Cider Museum/National Trust 

Review of Annie Lord’s - Neighbouring Orchard - (2022)


Field Trips | Public Engagement

Some Interesting Apples - Wild & Seedling Pomological Exhibition at Kestle Barton (2020 - onoing)

Quarantine Herbarium (2020) 

Some Interesting Apples, Kestle Barton (2020- ) 

Alluvial Strands for Groundwork Art (2018)

Library of Plants - public workshop and exhibition for Newlyn & Exchange Galleries.  (2019)


Teaching

Public workshops, lectures etc. for clients including: Bath Spa University, CAST, Tate St. Ives, Newlyn & Exchange, Groundwork Art

William Arnold teaches on the BA Marine & Natural History Photography programme at Falmouth University.

He has previously taught photography at Truro & Penwith College, Cornwall, Bath Spa University and Plymouth University 
 


Residencies & Research 

Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference (2023) - Paper presented on chance seedling apples as pioneer species in Future Geographies of Food.   

Guest Projects / LAPC, Sustainable Darkroom (2020)

Artist - Consultant for Agri/Culture 2.0 with Paul Chaney & Kathrin Bohm at Kestle Barton (Arts Council England funded, 2020)

In Search of Darkness, Grizedale Forestry Commission & Lumen Studios (2018)

Shortlisted for the Eden Project/FoAM Residency: Invisible Worlds (2018).

Muir Is Tir (Land & Sea) An Lanntair, Stornoway (2017)

Dartmoor Arts Project (2014)