What do the gypsies of the XXI century look like

Who are they? Yes, just representatives of urban youth, fueled by the spirit of vagrancy, anarchist philosophy and hatred of Margaret Thatcher, who one day climbed aboard old battered carriages and exchanged the comforts of the modern world for the charms of nomadic freedom.

Today's New Age style travelers have gone even further: they prefer traditional horse-drawn caravans to low-cost vans, although they do not shy away from modern technologies such as mobile phones, laptops and even Facebook.

In the late 1980s and throughout the 90s, stories about such marginals were told everywhere and everywhere. They were usually commemorated in connection with forbidden rave parties, clashes with the police, drug raids and critical attitude to criminal proceedings.

Young people from the middle class, to the horror of their prosperous parents, succumbed to the charm of a romantic lifestyle with its lack of strict rules and the charm of wandering. Their canvas caravans plow the expanses of England and Europe - from festival to festival, from a "dubious" gathering to a "dubious" gathering, often irritating landowners and local law enforcement agencies.

Photographer Ian McKell, who has been observing a small group of wanderers for 10 years, has released an album of stunning photographs called "New Gypsies" (Prestel publishing house).

These pictures reflect the changes in the lifestyle of modern nomads. Taking the traditions of the Gypsy camp as a model, many of them resolutely abandoned motor vehicles and switched to horse traction.

In an interview with the site anothermag.com Ian Mackell told:

And although not much has been written about the new wanderers over the past decade, their movement does not go out of the way and continues to gain strength.

The photographer, better known to the public for his work in the fashion world, has established close friendships with many travelers — including parents, children, couples and singles.

The photo album "New Gypsies" by Ian McKell, including essays by Val Williams and Ezmeralda Sanger, is published by Prestel.

Photographer Ian McKell.