Artist’s Statement

“Out of Darkness” is my first photo book, and is both the meaning of a life and the story of a life of meaning. After my father’s death when I was 19 years old, I began suffering severe panic attacks and these stayed with me for the next 30 years. Periods of deep depression were offset by a productive and successful work life, but behind the veneer, fear was ever present.

In January 2017 I travelled to one of the emptiest places on earth; The Gobi Desert in northern China. There, I underwent a complete creative epiphany, and over the following 6 expeditions into that region, began to rewrite the story of my life and gain understanding and perspective on my mental health. It is no understatement to say that my creativity has been the gateway to a more balanced and accepting life.

I tell the story using both words and photographs, finding meaning and metaphor in lines, contrast, and mood. As I began to externalise my anxiety through the aesthetics of emotional engagement I gained a new perspective which shocked me; I finally understood myself and could move forward. This book is both a metaphorical and literal journey Out of Darkness.

To quote from the book:

“To feel the menace in a dark and mysterious landscape, or the airy lightness of a minimalistic line in negative space. Each has a voice, an emotional fingerprint with which we can resonate for a while. But, let us not hold too tightly to the ownership of these sensations; they will pass, as will we all.”

“Taking us on a journey of dark and light, pain and joy, agony and ecstasy Alister Benn reveals the secrets of his creative life.
It is a personal visual symphony.” – Joe Cornish from the Foreword

“Within these pages, Alister Benn shares his deeply personal journey, Out of Darkness.
The healing powers of nature, his meditative engagement with emotions within him, and the extraordinary beauty of the landscapes he sought out,
all merged into a fresh vision and outlook.” – William Neill from the Foreword