Chris Alton talks Quakerism on Young Artists website
Chris Alton has discussed his faith in an online interview
Chris Alton, the Quaker artist and 2018 Swarthmore lecturer, was interviewed on the ‘web platform’ Young Artists in Conversation this month.
The interview, published on 6 October, asked the author of the 2018 lecture, entitled Changing ourselves, changing the world, about his Quakerism and multimedia work English Disco Lovers.
In response to a question about his possible ‘moral code’, Chris Alton, who said he has been a Quaker his whole life, replied: ‘Quakers like to say “Come to Quaker Meeting and have all your answers questioned”, so I think it’s fostered in me the will to engage with the world in a critical manner; although I think it’s important to do so in a way that makes space for joy, hope and optimism.’
Chris Alton also questioned the word ‘moral’, saying it was ‘uncomfortable’ for him and ‘could suggest a rigid standpoint’. He said: ‘Quakers tend to use the word “values”, it’s humbler and reflects a willingness to be guided by our experiences and those of others.’
