作為連州國際攝影年展的藝術(shù)總監(jiān)，面對公眾時，有一個問題或多或少總是會被問到：你的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是什么？
我對付這個問題的辦法是告訴對方，他的問題是出于對藝術(shù)總監(jiān)的誤解，藝術(shù)總監(jiān)不是法官，手里沒有法典，更不是一個質(zhì)檢人員，所以沒有可以清晰列明的“標(biāo)準(zhǔn)”。
這樣的回答通常能夠讓我在現(xiàn)場脫離困境，但是，我知道，我實際上繞過了問題的實質(zhì)。記者和觀眾當(dāng)然不是迫使我列出一二三四條精確的、通行的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，他們要問的、他們認(rèn)為他們必須知道的是，作為一個藝術(shù)總監(jiān)，你對攝影的根本看法是什么，你的信念何在？
正是這個問題困住了我。攝影對我來說究竟意味著什么？它是我們的家常日用和柴米油鹽，是我們的話語權(quán)力的來源，是宏大精密的知識譜系，是必須不斷生產(chǎn)的思想、理論和概念，是我們的分工我們的學(xué)問，但是現(xiàn)在，一個觀眾穿過這一切來到我面前，他問：是什么使你選擇了這一切，告訴我一個根本理由，這個理由證明這一切都有意義。
現(xiàn)在，我愿意試著回答這個問題。
在我們生活的大部分時間里，經(jīng)歷了圖像觀念急劇、頻繁的變化，對于攝影是什么以及攝影在人類生活中的價值，我們曾經(jīng)信服和發(fā)明了許多種說法，而在當(dāng)下，我們有些人甚至對此產(chǎn)生了懷疑。但是，現(xiàn)在面對這個問題，我寧愿回到生命的早期，在那個急劇變化初現(xiàn)端倪的時代，通過各種途徑，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)了攝影。
盡管在那時，人的自我認(rèn)識、人對世界的想象還是受到嚴(yán)厲規(guī)約的影響，盡管有強大的真理的聲音告訴你，人必須是這樣、生活必須是這樣，你無可選擇無可爭辯，但是，攝影的微光使我們看到，人可能是另外的樣子，我們自身遠比我們意識到的更為豐富和復(fù)雜，我們看到了經(jīng)驗的真實質(zhì)地，看到了事物的模棱兩可，看到人如何擊破覆蓋他的幻覺、成規(guī)、歸類和論述，去發(fā)現(xiàn)和踐行他自己的真理。
在這個意義上，攝影就是要承受傲慢與偏見，承受對它的價值的懷疑。承受著這種壓力，攝影守護著語言的活力，守護著人的生動形象，守護著人的誠懇和自由。
從這樣的信念出發(fā)，我認(rèn)為，連州攝影年展這樣的活動可以是肯定也可以是懷疑，是分析、判斷和學(xué)理，但肯定、懷疑、分析、論斷和學(xué)理不是為了規(guī)約和馴服攝影，不是為了榨干它的汁液，恰恰相反，它是為了警覺地堅持?jǐn)z影的根本精神。
同樣是從這樣的信念出發(fā)，我也認(rèn)為連州攝影年展并非尋求公正，它是非常值得的冒險，是人的想象力的有力證明，它將圖像中潛藏的各種各樣可能性充分開啟，澄清為明晰的意識和言說。
連州攝影年展愿意發(fā)出這樣一種明確的迅息：只要你的照相機沒有對著現(xiàn)實背轉(zhuǎn)身去，只要你的拍攝工作是出于自己的真情實感，只要你堅持?jǐn)z影的根本精神，那么，我們會看見，我們會贊賞，我們會鼓勵，我們會推廣，我們會給予幫助。
這就是我對連州攝影年展的根本看法和信念。
Forword of Artistic Director
On Standards and Beliefs
By Duan Yuting
As art director of Lianzhou International Photography Festival (LIPF), people often ask me what my standards are.
I explain that their question stems from a misunderstanding of the function of an art director. The art director isn’t a judge with a book of laws—even less a quality control inspector—and so he or she has no list of clear standards to go by.
That answer gets me out of a prickly situation, but I know that I’ve avoided the essence of the question. The reporters and general public don’t expect me to list out a series of rigorous standards. What they want to know, what they think they need to know, is as an art director, what are my fundamental ideas and beliefs about photography.
The question haunts me. How would I personally define photography? It is a daily necessity, something we use everyday. It is a powerful source of discourse and a magnificent wealth of knowledge that is constantly producing new thoughts, ideas and theories. It is a duty and a quest. But now, one after the other, members of the public ask me: “What brought you to choose these photos? What is the main reason that justifies your choices?
Now I am ready to attempt to answer that question.
In the span of our lifetimes, we have witnessed frequent and sudden changes in the concept of the image, the definition of photography and significance of photography in our lives. Now the many convictions we elaborated and upheld in the past are coming under fire. However, faced with the question, I would rather return to the earlier days of photography, to times when the changes where only beginning to appear on the horizon, and approach and rediscover photography in many different ways.
Human consciousness and world view might have been conscribed within a strict set of rules at the time and the voice of complacency of truth might remind us that things are so and that we have no power to choose or argue, but the light of photography made us see everything in a different light. Humanity is far richer and more complex what we are aware of. Photography reveals the texture of experience, exposes paradoxes, and witnesses how humanity sweeps away illusions, rules, categories and theories to discover and make real one’s own truth.
In this sense, photography must endure pride and prejudice. Faced with doubt of its significance, photography has preserved its eloquence, vivid lifelikeness, honesty and freedom.
Because of this, I believe that an event like LIPF can be approved of or called into question; it can be analyzed, judged or theorized upon. But validation, discredit, analysis and judgment do not regulate and tame photography and suck the juice out of it; it is quite the opposite: they vigilantly uphold the spirit of photography.
In the same way, LIPF sees it a risk worth taking not to seek impartiality. LIPF is powerful proof of human imagination. It unleashes the hidden potential of photography, making consciousness and what lies beyond words clear for the eye to see.
Lianzhou Iinternational Photography Festival wants to send out a clear message: as long as your camera hasn’t turned its back on reality, your works have stemmed from your personal experience and emotions, and you uphold the spirit of photography, we will be there to look at and admire your work, promote it and lend a helping hand.
These are LIPF’s vision and beliefs.
【編輯:葉曉燕】
