New Photography / Corey Arnold

November 8, 2008 | New Photography | by Alison Zavos |

Corey Arnold’s world straddles two disparate, yet wonderfully integrated, pursuits — he works as both a professional photographer and an Alaskan crab fisherman. Now there’s a story. We asked him how his inside perspective on human and animal relationships influences his photographs: ‘When I was a kid, I used to stalk birds and other animals with my BB gun in the backyard. My hunter instinct was strong and I’d spend hours searching for victims. Then, after killing something, I was torn by my adrenaline fueled sense of accomplishment and deep sadness for what I had done. The same applied to sport-fishing as a child. The goal was, of course, to seek out and kill the largest, most beautiful fish! At home, I’ve fathered many pets — cats, snakes, dogs, and rabbits. For some instinctual reason, I’m endlessly curious about animals. I like to be in close quarters with them, whether it be gutting a fish for dinner or letting my cat sleep on my head. The human animal series came along naturally. It’s a series of curious animal situations that I’ve encountered throughout my recent life. This is an ongoing series, an exploration of how we relate to animals, and it covers a broad perspective of events both real and designed. My time at sea as a commercial fisherman has given me a more animal perspective on animals than a human one in some ways. The goal is to make pictures that are sometimes brutal and often ridiculous, which is how I experience our shared world with animals’. Read more