Robinson Williams Photography // War Photography
These photographs were taken by a group of drug users I have gotten to know over the last two years. The goal of the original project, the orchestration of which I was not a part of, was to give a voice to a community often spoke of and for, but rarely allowed to speak for itself. The participants were taught in 2001 how to use manual cameras and were assigned to take pictures that revealed how drug use affected their lives in relation to a particular theme, such as housing or their family. As a photographer myself, I appreciated the value of their work and recognized great potential for collaboration after learning of their inability to actually print all of the photographs they had taken due to a shortage of funds. Following the collaborative tradition of groundbreaking photographers such as Wendy Ewald and Martin Rosenthal, I have allowed my voice as an artist to commingle with theirs in the creation of a final collaborative project.
These photographs are their stories, told in their words. I was but an editor of their prose, selecting the most salient of chapters offered, and rendering them fit for publication.
For more information about drug policy in the United States, visit the Drug Policy Alliance.
