Photo print of the Valette refuge under a snowstorm

The Valette refuge almost disappears behind the gusts of a snowstorm. The building remains visible as a fixed point while the wind erases contours, reduces depth and turns the Vanoise slopes into white and grey masses. Two cabins can still be made out through the diagonal grains of snow crossing the frame. Their snow-covered roofs extend the surfaces of the ground, while a blue-white veil almost erases the background. This proximity of materials makes the eye hesitate between the stable lines of the shelter and the movement of the flakes; the blizzard becomes the true space of the photograph.

The photograph draws its strength from reduced visibility and the absence of vivid colours. Blowing snow creates movement, the lines of the building resist the atmospheric blur and the scene retains genuine tension without becoming artificially spectacular.

Located above Pralognan-la-Vanoise at around 2,590 metres above sea level, the refuge occupies an exposed site in the national park. Its three chalets act as a landmark in a high-mountain environment shaped by glaciers, passes and rapidly changing weather conditions.

This photo print of the Valette refuge in a snowstorm is printed to order on matte aluminium Dibond. The support reproduces the subtle variations of white, the texture of the snow and the fragile contrast between the refuge and the blizzard.