London is the capital of England and Britain, and has been one of the world's most important commercial, cultural and political centers for the past two thousand years. Greater London has seven million inhabitants and is the center of a conurbation of some 12 million people. From its founding in the 1st Century AD Londinium, the capital of the Roman province of Britannia, grew to become the largest city in the world by the 18th Century and center of the British Empire.
In the 2001 census 71% of Greater London’s population classed their ethnic group as white, 10% as Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani, 5% as black African, 5% as black Caribbean, 3% as mixed race and 1% as Chinese. 22% of inhabitants were born outside the European Union.
Since the deregulation of the economy in the 1980s London has seen an uninterrupted economic boom and as a result has seen an influx of migrants from all corners of the planet. You can stand in Trafalgar Square and see people from every possible ethnic group and hear dozens of different languages.
The shoot outside the Tate Modern was a lot of fun and one of the fastest I’ve done. The art gallery environment meant that people immediately understood the concept and were willing to participate. Of course the Tate is not truly representative of London.
There were no West Indians nor any Africans although both these groups are well represented in the larger population. In addition over half the people were tourists – primarily from Europe and North America. While they may not be Londoners tourists are a large part of what makes London London. The composite face is striking in its familiarity. Having lived in London, both the male and female feel like someone I know – like an old work colleague or someone I met at he pub whose name I’ve forgotten.
Photographer: Mike Mike; Assistants: Gianmarco Delre, Scott
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