贝多芬童年时代便读歌德的作品，对已经完成了《浮士德》第一部的歌德很是仰慕。读罢他以 16世纪荷兰人民反抗异族压迫的悲剧《艾格蒙特》后,贝多芬甚为感动。1810年他为这部戏剧写了 10段配乐，其中最为著名的是《艾格蒙特》序曲。
　　整个德国甚至整个欧洲都在关注着这两位伟人的会面。
　　那一晚他们都谈了些什么？贝多芬为《艾格蒙特》原著“单纯的悲剧性”所加的那个明丽的结尾？用文学或音乐去影响他人的同时，这其中是否也能安妥自己的一隅灵魂？巴赫与贝多芬的区别？——前者所有的音符都在赞颂上帝，而贝多芬表现了人的意志、渴望、命运、内心冲突等人的精神世界。当然，也很有可能喜欢宫廷气氛的歌德与无视权贵的贝多芬言语并不投机。
　　宁静、理智、平衡、镇定的歌德欣赏的是巴赫和莫扎特。他承认贝多芬在德国音乐中的位置 ,但并不喜欢他的音乐。特普利茨见面后他在给妻子的信中写道，贝多芬“聚精会神，强劲有力，感情深沉。”
　　对那一晚，除了歌德的这几句话，没留有其他任何确凿的文字记载，27年后人类才有了摄影术，我们仅能于想象中猜测着他们在精神上的相互流动。
　　特普利茨温泉一别，歌德与贝多芬再也不曾相遇。
　　我们曾有过这样的设想 ,若只能二选其一，那么对于那一个夜晚，现实主义绘画与摄影，留下哪一个对人类更为珍贵和重要？
　　绘画更富于艺术创造的特质。如若是绘画，那后人所见的只是某位画家对那一晚的一己叙事策略,个性化的渲染和他本人对那一场景的感受。而对于历史，在它的每一页盖上的本应该是真实客观的印戳。故对于那一晚,我们宁愿传诸后世的是摄影而不是现实主义绘画。本书的作者为中国社会 50年的历史留下的政治、社会、城乡事项、族群细节的图像是何其珍贵。历史的旅痕只在那一瞬，永远地远遁，不再归返。摄影——具有文化人类学意义上的摄影在范围宽广的视域抢救和保藏了历史 ,而记忆的缺损必定会造成未来历史某一部分的坍塌。
　　图像是时光的驿站。肩负着用图像珍藏人类生存痕迹的摄影者必须保持这样一种状态:等待、忍耐和持续不断地工作——这是摄影家，是所有作家艺术家进入严肃的工作状态时的铁律。
　　你追索什么你就是什么。素质、学养、做人的格局使某些人长时间地关注着某一类主题和使用某种艺术手法。唯有“常戚戚”之人才总会在时代的转折期丧失自我常感失落。原因是他们总在环视周边，顾及他者的说法；总是跟风搜觅线索，顺势从众而为。他们从来也不曾搞懂，一个时代在历史的川流中也只是“某个时代”。
　　对社会生活作价值辨读与具有一个健全的判断能力息息相关。单凭一己之小趣味不过是在制造小品——并非任何人都具有对图像的禀赋和感知能力，上帝也许就没让你干这个，这与努力无关。
　　在我们看来，图像是一种不停滞的关系，是一个永远活着的系统。面对一幁幁勾绘社会,梳理民生，在改弦易辙中四时代御的生存景观，当下的和今后的各式人等会发出不同的感慨。这不是摄影者所要操心的。他们的着力点要放在依照自身特质用个性化的方式勾连历史的碎片，截断文明的流失。
　　艰难时世，人生景观挟着时代的痕迹：焦灼、无援、困境、悲恸；有图像意味且大有深意的平淡；宿命与伤情怀旧；生存的艰窘，生存的挣扎，生存的顽强；贫困地区的农民很容易便获得的那种恬静而微小的幸福感；还有在都市在乡村，已经存留了几百上千年的古民居和历史文化建筑在数天之内便被推平，还没容得各界有所反应便迅疾地造成既成事实；包工队以异乎寻常的速度在其上堆积起滑稽的秕糠建筑。
　　随着这些古民居和历史文化建筑的被铲除，浸溶着自《诗经》以来便延续于华夏民族的民族精神与民情风俗也在一定程度上被消泯，原本多彩的民族性格走向地不分东西南北的趋同。
　　“小说家既不是历史学家，也不是政治家，而是‘存在’的踏勘者。”（米兰·昆德拉）这种“存在”在摄影中是俄顷的，每一格都被删除了连续性展现，都被删除了“之前”与“之后”而因摄影者的浓凝而直接走向事物中心。
　　完美是不可企及的，完美是一种被悬置的理想，谁也不要打算在图像中建树完美。但是，在某一点和某种意义上的至臻至美是可能的，许多位图像的大师诚如维特根斯坦所言，他们“并不比其他人有更多的光，但是，他们有一个能聚光以致燃点的特殊透镜” 。
　　摄影者在作品中或是熔融着柔软而真挚的情感，口语絮絮淡如白水对毛茸茸的庸常生活进行丰满而结实的直陈；或是在恰切的时间，在点线纵横的空间几何图形上，对具有寓言意味的现实实施绵密顺滑的图像诗学的框套；或是寒江独钓,不就范于现实，而是用理性之网对现实进行筛滤 ,只让属于自己的鱼落入自己所张的网。
　　无论是何种艺术品性，只要抓住了瞬间的意义，摄影者自己也就创造性地生活在意义之中。某种表现形式已经走向了尽头——何其无知与悖谬的说法。公元前5000年至公元前3000年河南仰韶的飞鸟、水波彩陶盆；陕西半坡的鱼纹彩陶盆；青海孙家集五个跳舞小人的彩陶盆直到现在仍令我们心灵激荡。西汉霍去病墓冢前的花岗岩石雕浑厚雄大，因石得形，顺势而雕使十七种动物形像古朴而抽象。今天，现代派雕塑仍在从中汲引滋养。古典主义、现实主义、现代主义、表现主义、当代艺术,你靠向哪边，这看你要干什么。你在某种形式中有很舒展的发挥也并不见得这与你想要得到的结果是和洽的。
　　当代艺术类的摄影着意摆脱“纪实”、“报道”。在这类艺术家的眼中，个体的观念是最打紧的，他们更看重的是作品与自身生命的关联。
　　当代艺术类摄影不是非常之感性便是非常之理性。他们以慢节奏的设计替代了快节奏的抓取。拍摄时机多是候顶点、高峰过去之后再以导演的方式进行更为周全的观念、意绪、氛围的经营。按快门是谁不重要，“总调度”最重要。
　　此种作品不应该有标准感受的指向，故而很容易产生歧义。这类艺术是要表达自己和解决的是自己的问题，因之，在与他们具有相同问题的那类人中，他们的作品获得了很大的共鸣。
　　然而，单就社会、历史的文献价值这一点来说，当代艺术类摄影不能被作为社会、历史的一个客观真实的证词。他们表述的仅是某个时代某类人的某种心绪。
　　在不了解政治、历史、社会、民情诸背景的情形下，人物、事件、场景，带有民族、地域性符号的图式等类社会纪实摄影带给照片观者（尤其是异邦观者）的只能是一片茫然。因而，中国当代艺术类摄影在国际图片市场的出路远远好于对中国社会生活作真实记录的社会纪实类摄影，但这与图片本身的价值并无关联。
　　希求将自己的作品挂在西方某画廊出售是另外一回事。可悲的是一批毫无定力的中国摄影者至今仍以国外评论家甚至是图片商人的话语作为圭臬。道理是如是之简单，他们还是我们，谁个更了解中国？
　　时日迁徙 ,染苍染黄,四十多年前的 “文革”中和更早的“文革”前,在媒体工作的摄影记者的“组织摄影”反映了那个时代的政治需要，故也是一种真实。而自1976年破冰的开始到 80年代那一个摄影的黄金年代，被现在的年轻一代质疑是导演出来的很多图像，在昔日按快门的那一瞬恰恰是最真实的图像。
　　有价值的东西永远会超越时尚。经典的意义在于不会简单地追随时尚，甚至不会追着时代随波浮动。这就如同一个有品质的人，他总在坚持一种普世永恒的东西，比如友爱、怜悯、牺牲、互助……
　　几十年下来，我们自己至今仍在很多问题上感到困惑，故根本不敢说能对后学有什么指点,只能相告一些用挫折换来的真知：不要被公共意识和大众意识所收编。捋过摄影史并看过他人的东西后做出一个判断 ,你自己适于走哪条路？定位错了所耗光阴就全白搭了。
　　较之我们，新一代面临的会是一个复杂得多的环境：浮躁之气遍布九囿。物质丰饶精神贫瘠，思想的深刻已鲜有人追索，物质上有出路的时代多数人不再把精神作为出路。为数不少的的影者靡费巨大的时间与精力，表现出的却是那样一个不唯浅薄简直是鄙俗猥琐的主题。这些东西经不起时间的考验，莫说十年八年，当年便被人弃之如敝履。而真正需要在具备深度知识的基础上投入精力去发掘的题材，却极少有人愿意为之付出艰苦的劳作。
　　在一个已经丧失了羞愧感羞耻感的年代，人们不只是在摄影上，还在许多事物上丢弃了对事物的探究感、尊崇感、庄重感。
　　当然,永远会有人在思索着如何让摄影变得更加纯粹。在诚笃的摄影者那里，摄影可以是对真理的一个转述；可以是擦拭心灵，使自己更清楚地看到生命内部的本源的一种方式；也可以被视作是以劳动的方式所做的一次次祈祷——就像农民每一次挥镰就是一次祈祷，每一次舂米就是一次祈祷。
　　人格的核心是真实的自我。艺术的意志要求只以作品与观者交流；如其相通，那是一个生命向另一个生命的诉说。努力不会白费，无论社会是多么浮躁，总会有一类人与你同气相求。
　　本书所蒐集的作品并非是一个结语。其中多位作者的行脚并未就此止歇。他们有着个人化的隐修纪律和心智模式。认知是慎重的、谨严的，灵魂里一切迷惘、衰败和凄恻遭际都是心灵的必经之旅。几十年饱经着痛苦，饱经着创痛，饱经着生命中的一次次晦冥时分，方才悟出一个个对生命至关重要的真知。故此，摄影者创作出的图像不但是对文明细节的记述，事实上，它已经成为摄影家个人的传记。
　　今天即将过去，巷子里已掌起昏黄的灯火,我们收拾着家什。赶路即生活——前面有多种可能的生活。明日雄鸡司晓便踏上旅程。 In 1812, Beethoven completed Symphony No.7 in A major in Teplitz Spring in Boihaemum. Beethoven had met Goethe here before. In one summer night, Goethe closed eyes to listen Beethoven playing the pianos. Beethoven was 21 old years younger than Goethe, and he was deaf. At that point, Goethe wished to see the player carefully with the uplifted frontal, red face, gloomy eyes and disheveled hairs.
Beethoven read Goethe’s books when he was young and really admired Goethe’s the first part of Faust. Goethe’s Egmout Overture touched Beethoven, which is Dutch’s revolt tragedy in the 16th century. He wrote 10 pieces of music for this drama in 1980, and the most famous one is Egmout Overture.
Germany and the whole Europe cared about these two musicians’ meeting.
What did they talk about that night? Did they talk about the finale of Egmout Overture? Did they express themselves beyond influencing others? What is the difference between Bach and Beethoven? Bach is always in praise of god, but Beethoven shows people’s will, desire, fate and inner conflict of people’s spiritual world. It is possible that Goethe and Beethoven have different opinions because Goethe likes the royal environment and Beethoven dislikes the power.
Calm, rational and balanced Goethe really appreciates Bach and Mozart. He admits the role that Beethoven has in Germany music, but he doesn’t like Beethoven’s music. Goethe wrote to his wife after that night: Beethoven is concentrated, strong and full of emotions.
For that night, Goethe didn’t leave any messages despite these words. People created the photography 27 years later so that we can only guess their mental communications at that night.
Goethe and Beethoven haven’t met again after the Teplitz Spring’s meeting.
We wonder that which one is more precious and important to describe that night, a realistic painting or a photo?
The paintings are more featured artistic characteristics. If that night is a painting, people think of that night is focused on the artist’s personal feeling and narrative strategies.
If that night is a record of history, each page is objective. We hope that night is a photo rather than a painting.
The author of this book saves the precious political, social, urban and rural images for the Chinese society. The historical trace presents at that moment and will never back forever. Photography saves and preserves the history in terms of culture and anthology, but the missing memory will crash the history for the future.
Images record the time. Photographers should keep waiting, working and tolerating to save the traces of human beings’ survivals. This is the rule that all writers and photographers need to follow during the work.
You represent the person that you are pursuing. Educated and polite people usually care more about one specific theme and one particular artistic skill. Only complained people will feel frustrated in the transition period, because they always look around and follow others’ opinions. They never know the transition period is only one period in the history.
The recognition of social value should have the ability of solid judgment. Not everyone has the talent of photography and the ability of acknowledgement. Thus, being a photographer is because of talent rather than hard working.
In our opinions, images are always alive rather than stagnant. People will have different feelings toward difficult life situations in society. However, photographers should not worry about difficult life situations. They should more focus on preserving the historical records and controlling the loss of civilization based on their own characteristics in a personalized way.
During the hard time, the life situations can be traced in the era. They are anxiety, grief, and hopelessness, embarrassed, dull and fateful. Poor people struggle for life and they are satisfied with tiny achievement. It is hard to accept that many ancient residences and historical cultural buildings that has preserved for thousands of years are destroyed in a few days. The funny buildings take place of those ancient architectures that are piling up in a fast speed.
With the uprooting of ancient residences and historical cultural architecture, the national spirit and customs integrated into The Book of Songs are dying, and the national colored characters are convergent whether from the north, south, east or west.
Milan Kundera said that Novelists are existed prospectors rather than historians and politicians. This kind of existence is temporary in the photography. Each grid deletes the continuity, but goes into the center of the photograph.
Perfection is unattainable and ideal. Nobody wants to make perfect in images. But some points can be perfect. Many photographers like the master Wittgenstein show that they don’t own more lights than others, but they have a special lens for the world.
Contemporary art photography is mainly to get it out of "documenting" and "reporting". In the eyes of these artists, individual conception matters the most. Of course, from the value of society, history and literature, contemporary art photography cannot be considered as a social and historical testimony of objective truth. They only describe a certain mood of certain groups in a certain period.
Without the background of politics, history and society; characters, events, situations, nationality, regional symbols that lie in documentary photography would only make the audience (especially foreign visitors) feel a piece of blank. As a result, contemporary Chinese art photography images perform much better than documentary photography in the international market, and at this point, there’s nothing to do with the value of the image itself.
The truth is, anything with its value will always be beyond fashion. The meaning of the classic is not simply to follow the fashion, not even chasing the era and floating with the wave. It's similar to a man with qualities, he always insists on a universal commonality, such as love, pity, sacrifice, and mutual help...
Compared with our generation, the new generation will face a much more complex environment. Material abundance while spiritually barren, seldom people seek thoughtful profoundness. Most photographic subjects and themes are superficial and only will be considered as fashion as time pass by. These things cannot stand for the test of time, not to mention eight or ten years, would be completely left off. However, the real subject takes time and effort for photographers to explore based on their in-depth accumulated knowledge, but few are willing to pay hard work.
Of course, there will always be someone who is thinking about how to make photography as a pure artistic expression. For cordial photographers, photography can be a paraphrase of the truth; a way of making themselves see the beautiful nature of life; or it could be a form of praying - like farmers pray in there every single raping.
The core of personality is a true self. Art requires an exchanging process with the audience; one individual lives face to another. No matter how much society is blundering, there will always be someone who pursues the same goal with you.
The collection of photographic work in this book is not an end. In fact, many of the photographers we mentioned haven’t stopped their exploration. They have their personalized standards and mental requirements. Cognition is measured and rigorous; every part of the lost, pleasure and suffering with your soul are an inevitable mental journey. Decades, one has to suffer the pain, the trauma, and darkness before finally able to understand the true knowledge of life. Therefore, works of the photographer are not only a documentary of civilization, but also, in fact, become an individual’s biography of the photographer.
At the end of today, light has filled the alley; we are on the way back home. A journey is a life, which has infinite possibilities ahead. We’ll set off our journey tomorrow.