Inverse Alpinism
Ongoing series. 2018-present. European Alps. 35mm and digital.
An observational photographic series recording the absurd, banal and incongruous motifs of ski tourism, juxtaposing the natural beauty of the European Alpine region with the man-made architecture and infrastructure of the skiing industry.
By applying a documentary approach to travel photography, this series attempts to capture moments of benign calm and serenity among the frenetic chaos of Europe’s most popular pistes.
The title of this series - Inverse Alpinism - is a pun on the mountaineering term ‘Alpinism’, which refers to the subset of climbing which involves rapid and often unsupported ascents to the summit. Much like skiing, speed and continual propulsion are key characteristics of Alpinism; but unlike skiing, Alpinism is a highly dangerous, un-leisurely activity that requires astonishingly high levels of fitness.
This series tacitly acknowledges its antecedents: the Australian artist Peter Doig’s painting Ski Jacket, the deadpan acidity of British photographer Martin Parr’s photos from St Moritz, the Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s 2014 film Force Majeure, and Austrian photographer Lois Hechenblaiker’s excellent series Off Piste (2009) and Winter Wonderland (2012).
After the popularisation of Alpine skiing in the late Twentieth Century, the region has become the most popular snow-sports destination in the world, worth $30bn annually and bringing visitors and jobs to rural communities. Long the playground of a wealthy, predominantly western leisure class, for many - myself included - skiing is a way of life with huge physical and mental health benefits.
But today Alpine skiing faces a number of challenges, not least those triggered by the growing climate emergency. These include shortened seasons, snow cover instability, higher risks of avalanches, increased demands for water and energy to manufacture snow, impacts on wildlife, rising energy costs, pressures on local infrastructure and the risk of unrestricted development.
At 2 degrees centigrade of global warming above pre-industrial levels, it is reported that 53% of 28 European ski resorts would struggle for snow - pushing tourist demand for higher altitude resorts and severely impacting the economies of those at lower levels. As global temperatures continue to rise, in the future participating in Alpine snow-sports may become impossible for all but a very small, very wealthy, minority.
Resorts visited include La Rosiere / La Thuile / The Three Valleys / Cervinia / Zermatt / Saalbach / Les Arcs / La Plagne / St Anton.
