It’s just like a lie…There is something really ironic about the way people perceive these people as beneath them. There’s a snobbery, and yet, at the same time, they’re living philosophically, morally better than any of us. That is the future. Here’s a culture that subverts your idea of what life is, but really, they’ve got it right. They’re the heroes who’ve been kind to the planet. So in that sense, they set the example. Those kinds of values are where happiness is.

What do you hope for people to take away from the photographs?
To transport them to a place in their imaginations. To raise the question about how we perceive travelers and to re-examine our own existence. We all desire nature deep inside and have a desire for freedom.

Iain McKell is an international photographer whose work has appeared in major publications including i-D, V, Italian Vogue and The Face.

The New Gypsies is on view now at the Clic Gallery, New York, through October 2. Opening reception September 15, 6-8pm. Copies of McKell’s book The New Gypsies can be purchased here.