Addict Out of the Dark and Into the Light

Addict Out of the Dark and into the Light I wanted to get the message out that any addict could get clean; stop using drugs and find a new way to live. Most every one was enthusiastic. I asked them to share about the horrors of their life and how wonderful their lives are today. In the spirit of recovery each contributor exemplified this selfless effort of helping other addicts find and achieve recovery. Each participant responded because they wanted to help and be a part of the solution rather than the problem. They understood that what they were doing would help alleviate the pain and suffering of addicts and those close to addicts by being exposed to this work. My motive was to bring to light the love and truth about the feelings of addicts and the recovery revolution that is going on right now. Christopher Keeley Keeley s photographs, which deal with the many facets of obsession, speak to the internal search many individuals undergo during the lifelong quest for meaning and self-awareness. Capturing pain, longing, torment, despair, hope, and love within the faces and forms of his images, Keeley draws on his own inner obsessive quest for knowledge as inspiration. His images are unsympathetic, and communicate the inner emotional trauma of the homeless, the addicted, and of the lonely, as well as pride and the strength of human bonding experienced by addicts in recovery. By revealing the essence of his subjects, the works magnify with often unsettling clarity the pain of discovery, joy of friendships born of pain, or turmoil of new journeys that resound within each person. Through these poignant images he challenges the viewer to look within one s own heart, to question, affirm, accept, or reject, leaving one with valuable insights into our own places in humanity. Kimberley Taylor Chris Keeley is a friend of mine. I have always looked to Chris as having the inclination and courage to capture his unique perception of reality with the shutter of his camera. Somehow, he goes ahead and does it. In 1987 when this work of art was started, I heard of this book from the years it took Chris to put it together. In my own experience, I had an interest in encouraging and helping bring to light the love and truth about the feelings of addicts and the recovery revolution that is going on right now. There is a genuine movement in the underground culture of drug addiction towards health, recovery and spiritual growth. Chris went to each person participating in this work