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The Man Behind The Maps | Legendary Resort Artist James Niehues’ New Book

With over 200 art-quality prints of storied ski resorts, this iconic coffee table book is a must have for any snowsports enthusiast

In a world where Google Maps reigns supreme, there’s still a place where the good old fashioned paper copy remains close to people’s hearts – literally. Right in the chest pocket of their winter jackets, in fact. Yes, we’re talking about the beloved ski resort piste map. You know the ones: the intricately hand painted replicas with minute details of mountain huts, secret tree runs or the snowpark you never knew existed. Well, in a year that has denied many of us the chance to visit our beloved mountains, we’ve stumbled across our new favourite antidote to the absence of the cold alpine air. Legendary ski artist James Niehues’ new book, The Man Behind The Maps, recently arrived in our office and is now available to purchase in the UK.

“Featuring over 200 hand painted resort trail maps, beautifully presented in this iconic coffee table format, Niehues’ book is the culmination of his lifelong work and passion for the mountains”

Featuring over 200 hand-painted resort trail maps, beautifully presented in this iconic coffee table format, Niehues’ book is the culmination of his lifelong work and passion for the mountains. Whether you’ve spent time snowboarding or skiing in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, or Australia, the chances are that you’ve picked up one of his maps from the window of the ticket office before heading out on the mountain.

With renowned international ski resorts including Breckenridge, Mammoth, Whistler and Cardrona showcased in large format and premium quality paper, readers can take a trip down memory lane (or a cruise down their favourite pistes) from the comfort of their living room. Granted, it won’t quite recreate the raw, visceral experience of piling onto the six-man express chairlift, awkwardly thumbing a map in your oversized mittens, shouting “where the hell are we now?” into the gale-force headwinds as you peer through the corner of your fogged up goggles, but it does offer a pretty nostalgic trip down memory lane, nonetheless.

Parker, CO. – James Niehues works in his home studio in Parker, Colorado on December 17, 2018.

Described by the LA Times as the “Rembrandt of snow”, Niehues has already earned his place among the fraternity of historic artists within the snowsports world. And while history also has no shortage of iconic map makers and cartographers — Mercator, Ptolemy, Galilei, et al — nowadays, in the modern digital age, where every contour, road name or shop can be found at the tip of your finger, Niehues may well be one of the last great mapmakers. Throughout the nearly 300-page book, he showcases his exacting process, in which he first captures ariel shots and then explores the mountain himself, before pain-stakingly illustrating every run, chairlift, tree and cliff band by hand.

“Stemming from the number one Art-Illustration Kickstarter campaign of all time, The Man Behind the Maps had over 10,000 pre-orders”

Through the intricate brush strokes and minute levels of detail he applies to give each map a unique and bespoke feel, Niehues’ aesthetic remains iconic and instantly recognisable by skiers and snowboarders the world over. “I have always enjoyed the challenge of fitting an entire mountain on a single page,” he says. “Mountains are wonderful puzzles, and I knew if I painted with the right amount of detail and care, they would last. A good design is relevant for a few years, maybe even a decade. But a well-made map is used for generations.”

Parker, CO. - James Niehues works in his home studio in Parker, Colorado on December 17, 2018.
Parker, CO. - James Niehues works in his home studio in Parker, Colorado on December 17, 2018.

Stemming from the number one Art-Illustration Kickstarter campaign of all time, The Man Behind the Maps had over 10,000 pre-orders. It has since gone on to receive rave reviews in the US, and it now available on widespread release, here in the UK.

The word ‘perfect’ gets thrown around a lot these days, even when it’s far from fitting (like the perfect 100 score, or the perfect texture for running), but we reckon Niehues’ book fits the bill as the perfect gift for those who’ve been deprived of their annual pilgrimage to the mountains this year. It not only serves as a beautifully crafted resource and reference book but a timeless collector’s piece for any ski resort aficionado.

“Described by the LA Times as the “Rembrandt of snow”, Niehues has already earned his place among the fraternity of historic artists within the snowsports world”

Part work of art, part nostalgia piece and part conversation starter, this is the companion your coffee table has been longing for. Put away that six-month-old copy of The Economist (who are you kidding – if you haven’t read it already, you won’t read it now) and place this beauty centre stage of your living room to show off to all your house guests… when they’re finally allowed to visit again.

Read more about James Niehues’ The Man Behind the Maps here.

Purchase a copy in the UK here.

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