Exhibition Detail

During the second half of the 20th century in the aftermath of World War ll and as a result of the dissolution of the Empire, Britain gradually evolved from a fairly unicultural nation into a 'melting pot' of many ethnic groups and faiths. It is this significant and fascinating change that prompted Rachel Morton to tour the country at large with her camera to explore this multitude of diverse religions and their devotees.

Rachel Morton's camera became her passport into the spiritual lives of people in Britain when she became immersed in the writings and texts of the main religions practised in Britain today - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism, as well as Jainism and Zoroastrianism and set about trying to portray the soul of Britain as we enter a new millennium.

Based on her book, 'One Island Many Faiths', to be published by Thames and Hudson in March 2000, this exhibition comprises photographs and panels of text by the subject of the pictures, on how they came to have their beliefs. Did they have a conversion or did their beliefs help them through a crisis, or simply how have their beliefs underpinned their lives.

From the Sikh in Southall to the Zen Buddhist in Northumberland and the Anglican clown-priest to the Hindu convert, each and every one of the people interviewed and photographed, had their 'version' of the truth which gave meaning to their life. Carl Jung once said that although we cannot prove the existence of God, we all have a psychic need for the numinous, or as the twentieth century philosopher Joseph Campbell said "a myth to live our life by".