“I am not trying. I am doing. It is instinct,” says photographer, Caroline Mackintosh. “My lifestyle, and how I see and feel about the world emanates through my work. I never try to do something contrived.” The saying goes: there are two types of people, those who live to work and those who work to live. Mackintosh fits into neither of these categories. For her, life and work do not exist separately and one does not hold more weight than the other. Instead, her life is her work and her work is her life. Mackintosh, a photographer, writer, music performer with the intrepidity of a wildlife vagabond, is self-aware, tender and acutely mindful of the importance, and yet, complete unimportance she holds in this world and, most importantly, in nature.
At the time of this interview, South African native Caroline Mackintosh is a long way from home, promoting her project “In The Murmur” in the Unites States. With a five hour (on average) time difference between us, she responds to my questions while sitting in the back of a van. I note this because it is something I could easily overlook, but shouldn’t. For, whether it be as a woman, sitting in the back of van, or as a young child on expeditions to neighbouring countries with her family, Mackintosh has always been a fervent explorer. “I feel most connected to myself when I am in nature. It humbles me, brings me back to myself”, she explains. Moreover, travel provides continual inspiration for her creative work, allowing for “outer and inner expansion”.
Words by Mollie Pyne
Read the full story in Edition 02
