1978年，中共十一届三中全会拉开了改革开放的序幕，中国社会进入新时期。中国摄影在社会变革的浪潮中，开始了从完全为政治服务的意识形态化的模式向着现代性的多样化格局转变的历史进程。1979年4月，北京四月影会的成立及“自然·社会·人”第一回展览，被看做摄影在新时期发展的开端，具有里程碑的意义。展览回归艺术、倡导个性的理念以及体现出的自由民族精神和包括纪实摄影、观念摄影、沙龙摄影、实验摄影等多种摄影形态的呈现，给当时的摄坛带来很大的冲击深刻的启示，预言了摄影多样化发展的道路。但是四月影会及其影展是多种偶然性的际会，既不是水到渠成的结果，也没有相应的民间基础，在发泄了偶然聚集的能量之后，便很快消散，历史仍然带着自身的必然性和巨大的惯性前行，继之而来的是悄然而起却一发而不可收的唯美之风，这股唯美风潮抹灭了四月影会锐利的锋芒，席卷了整个80年代。
　　唯美之风的兴起具有多方面的必然性。首先，在变革的时代要求下，以比较温和的去政治化非意识形态的形式来瓦解和走出完全政治化意识形态化的模式；其次，在摄影是不是艺术还存在质疑的情况下，需要以唯美的形式来证明和确立摄影的艺术身份；再次，在自身没有传统，又对世界摄影一无所知的条件下，只能以同为平面艺术的绘画的审美样式和审美标准来模塑摄影；还有经过了剑拔弩张的文革，这种轻松愉悦的审美形式，正符合社会大众的心理需求。
　　唯美之风日盛，纪实摄影却步履维艰。对于社会现实的反映本身就是一个敏感的政治问题，一句“土老破旧”就足以把人打入另册。于是不同观念的激烈展开，北京四月影会灿烂礼花随“风”飘散，强劲的 “西北风”扑面而来。陕西群体连续发表文章，推出作品，举办“艰巨历程”全国摄影大赛，召开全国摄影美学研讨会，火力集中，声势浩大，矛头直指“左”的思想体系和“高大全、红光亮”的摄影模式，他们代表了民间的觉醒和抗争，他们遭受排斥、打击而毫不妥协，他们所做的就是为中国的纪实摄影开辟前进的道路，为直面社会而被否定、批判的所谓“土老破旧”的纪实摄影提供合法化依据。以上种种构成了80年代摄影的社会氛围和基本态势。
　　在那个年代许多摄影家走上纪实之路都经历了一个艰难和痛苦的转变，这种转变包含了两个方面，一是从唯美到纪实的转变，二是从意识形态化到直面社会的转变。1985年赵震海拍摄的《金色年华》：逆光中的小树林一片橘红色，打羽毛球的少女青春飞扬，画面温馨而美丽，这件作品入选第三届国际摄影艺术展览。他的《珠撒山林》充满韵律之美，1986年获首届全国黑白艺术作品展览三等奖。这一时期他的不少唯美之作发表获奖，但在后来却坚定地转向了纪实，拍摄了记录历史的《中原最后一代传统农民》和关注弱势群体的《矸石山上采煤人》等纪实力作。后来回想当初，他写道： “十年前我利欲熏心，急于拍些甜美的东西好去获奖，给自己捞取好处。”于德水14岁学习绘画，20出头已成为当地青年画家的佼佼者，70年代末进入摄影创作后，他的艺术素质和绘画基础在唯美之风中游刃有余，众多用光讲究、构图严谨又有生活情趣的作品接二连三在报刊和全国重大影展中发表、获奖，形成了他第一个创作高峰，很快在全国摄坛脱颖而出，也成为河南青年一代摄影家的代表人物。但是，人们看到只是于德水初露的才气和不俗的成就，看到一颗冉冉升起的新星，没有人知道在这光环的背后，一个心灵正在经受着怎样的痛苦和磨砺。1983年12月，大众摄影杂志在北京北海公园普安殿举办第二次全国青年黑白摄影九人联展。在当时，这是一个很高规格、倍受关注的展览，甚至进入展览就是一份荣耀，一种权威的认定。于德水跻身其中正应春风得意，但是，当他在墙上看到曾经给自己带来许多荣誉的作品时，突然间一阵脸红、一阵羞愧，一种打击海啸般迎面扑来，心中神圣的艺术殿堂轰然坍塌，他不忍卒读，无法忍受，步履踉跄地抢出殿外，瘫坐在门前的台阶上。20年后，他在接受《中国摄影》杂志采访时谈及当时的感受仍不能平静说：“我也不知道怎么一下子就对那些照片的不着边际的空洞的做作感到脸红，而实际上是付出了极大的努力才走进这里的呀。那次跑出来，就再也没有进去过。”面对黄泛区这片灾难深重的土地、艰难生存的乡民，他为自己的无视和粉饰感到惭愧，对自己作品的轻佻与肤浅感到自责，对自己的艺术营造与生活真实的背离感到良心的刺痛。从这一刻开始，他与自己的过去断然决绝，完成了一次悲壮的“凤凰涅槃”。他后来把这年的冬天称作“一种生命精神的诞辰”。
　　这些摄影家的反省与思考体现了变革时代摄影发展的要求，凝聚着改革开放解放思想的成果，推动了在唯美之风以后一个纪实热潮的到来。从他们的经历中我们发现，这些反思转型的摄影家都有着非常自觉深刻的反省精神，他们敢于否定自己，批判自己，灵魂深处闹革命，一旦转型就会坚守，把生命赋予认定的道路。
　　新时期摄影的发展一方面在社会变革和各种文艺思潮兴起中获得动力，也需要从自身的历史中寻找思想资源，于是揭开了一段尘封的历史。上世纪二三十年代，我国曾出现了一个摄影艺术的高峰。1923年北京大学出现了我国第一个摄影团体——光社，此后数年间，上海华社、黑白社、南京美社、广州景社、红窗社、白绿社、虹社等众多摄影团体成立，《天鹏》、《中华摄影杂志》、《晨风》、《飞鹰》、《摄影画报》、《华昌摄影月刊》、《摄影界》等摄影刊物相继或同时面世，有影响的摄影活动频繁举办，大批作品在国外摄影活动中入选，规模超过了日本，我国摄影艺术迎来了第一次大繁荣。当时的摄影队伍主要是高、中级知识分子，这使我国摄影艺术的起点定位在较高的文化层次上，并能在十数年间建立起我国摄影艺术的基本形态，其整体风格深受中国传统绘画的影响，时称美术摄影。虽然进入30年代以后，随着民族矛盾的激化，摄影面向社会现实的呼声高涨，但随着1937年全面抗战的枪声响起，所有摄影团体解散、刊物消失，活动停办，这一页也就掀过去了。此后，中国摄影进入了一个“断裂——重建”的历史模式，即每个历史时期都是整体转型，在对前一时期没有继承甚至否定的情况下进行非重复性构建。早期的美术摄影被尘封起来，摄影走向战场，在抗日战争和解放战争的炮火硝烟中，实现了以服务革命战争为目的、以新闻摄影为主体的整体转型；新中国成立后，为构建属于文联系统的新中国的摄影艺术，首先把新闻摄影整体上纳入艺术领域，然后按照新闻标准和艺术标准相统一的要求，塑造了“双重属性”的中国摄影艺术的新形态，并且被完全意识形态化，形成了大一统的“高大全、红光亮”的创作模式；进入新时期，在社会变革的条件下，否定了旧的摄影观念和创作模式，开始了重新构建摄影艺术的探索的过程，中国摄影又一次在否定过去中另起炉灶整体转型。“断裂——重建”一次次打断了摄影艺术自然生长的过程，每一个时期都没有充分发育，每一个时期都没有充分的学术观照，它的直接后果是：中国摄影艺术有作品而没有积累，有历史而没有传统。所以当纪实摄影从自身的发展史中寻找思想资源时才发现所获甚少，于是，目光转向了世界。世界纪实摄影那是一个极深厚的蕴藏。当世界摄影被引进中国，我们从引进的顺序中发现其中隐藏着一种政治、文化的选择。最早引进的是70年代末中国香港的陈复礼和80年代初美国的安塞尔·亚当斯，他们的风光作品都没有直接的政治性内容。安塞尔·亚当斯的进入使中国摄影家比较完整地看到了一位世界著名摄影家的作品，影响最大的是陈复礼，1979年在中国美术馆的展览引起极大轰动，经媒体广泛传播，他的画意风格风光摄影助推正在兴起的唯美之风影响深远。纪实摄影则是80年代中后期，随着纪实摄影探索的步伐，比较温和的卡蒂·布列松首先来到中国，他的每一幅都无懈可击的作品和他的“决定性瞬间”美学征服了中国纪实摄影家，在一致的赞叹声中甚至忽略了他的美学对纪实的影响，他自己就曾说：我不能胜任任何一个报道任务，这一点在很长时间以后才得到清醒的认识。90年代初，经过了十年改革开放、解放思想的社会进步、在纪实摄影日益高涨的情况下，尤金·史密斯、威廉·克莱因、奥古斯特·桑德、寇德卡、黛安·阿勃丝、玛丽·艾伦·马克、杜安·麦可斯等影像强烈的纪实摄影家才姗姗来迟，至于一些已说不清归属或种类繁多的摄影家如弗兰克、南.戈尔丁、波普艺术家安迪·沃霍尔等来的还要稍晚一些，此后随着开放程度的提高和渠道的增多，不断地推介一些国外摄影家和作品逐渐成为一种新常态。这一顺序表明，对世界纪实摄影的引进不仅出于现实的需要，也是一种政治的选择，与中国社会变革的进程与接受外来文化的态度和尺度的变化相吻合。引进的顺序在新时期纪实摄影的发展中无疑会打上烙印。最早拍摄纪实作品的摄影家虽然已经高度个性化了，但不时隐约可见卡蒂·布列松的“决定性瞬间”，如朱宪民、于德水、闫新法、赵震海、李江树、秦军校等，稍晚一些的如姜健仿佛受到奥古斯特·桑德环境肖像的启迪，罗永进的一些南方建筑的作品会让人联想到贝歇夫妇的类型学摄影，年轻一些的王彤、田野则有更强的观念表达。对于新时期以来的纪实摄影家来说，不论是否受到某一位或某些世界纪实摄影大师的直接影响，但世界纪实摄影的历史都是他们无可选择的思想资源，或许这种状况会在未来改变。
　　人文关怀是新时期纪实摄影从世界纪实摄影中继承的重要的精神遗产 ，它深刻影响着摄影家的情感立场和拍摄方式，特别是面对弱势群体的时候，甚至代表着摄影家的道德操守。于德水不只一次表明：自己是农民群体中的一份子，最讨厌从感情上对农民居高临下，摄影者应该带着一种爱他们、认同他们的态度去拍摄，把农民当成道具或者掠夺性的拍照是最令我愤怒的。闫新法一直说自己就是一个农民。赵震海认为对待农民同情不够，还带有居高临下的成分，要抱着一腔亲情。他们由此获得了心理平衡：“由于有了位置上的平等关系，我虽从他们那里取走了自己所要的东西——照片，但也决不再是非道德的掠夺。”（赵震海《我拍矸石山上采煤人》）不用怀疑他们的真诚，但这一切与他们的拍摄对象有什么关系？对他们的贫穷、苦难、弱势有什么帮助？他们最终悲哀地发现，自己的认同和亲情得到的只是一种一厢情愿的自我心理安慰。刘易斯·海音的《童工》促使“童工法”的颁布，FSA摄影纪实运动影响了美国大萧条中的经济政策，尤其是解海龙的《希望工程》这个眼前的身边的例证，让人们仿佛觉得纪实摄影具有干预、影响社会进而改变被摄对象命运的的强大力量。但事实并非如此，即使FSA摄影纪实运动最著名的照片多罗西亚·兰格的《移居母亲》的形象代表了一个时代，成为大萧条时期坚强和母爱的象征，但照片中的那位带着7个孩子生活非常困难的母亲佛罗伦萨·欧文斯·汤普森却并没有得到任何帮助。刘易斯·海音是美国童工委员会的摄影师，FSA摄影纪实运动是美国政府发起，《希望工程》的背后是中国青少年发展基金会，都不是纯粹的个人所为。为了改变被摄对象的悲惨命运，贾玉川直接伸出援手，取得成功，但他是以新闻记者的身份和获得媒体的支持，并以新闻报道的形式进行大量的社会化运作。真诚的人文关怀和于事无补的无奈，是许多纪实摄影家难以排解的纠结，也影响到了赵震海对纪实摄影的看法：自己的影像能给社会带来些什么？那些偏远山乡的缺衣少食者，还有那里的失学儿童们，你的影像能让他们重返学堂吗？照片还不如一杯清水能解渴。于是，我不再像昔日那样对摄影梦萦魂牵，因为它太懦弱，太无用！（（赵震海《为农民造像》）
　　不仅有摄影家的纠结，还有来自评论的指摘：纪实摄影以人文关怀的名义，在社会的苦难中发现影像之美，创造诗意再现或隐喻意味，把社会问题抽象成美学或哲学体验，也成就了自己的艺术风格。这种“旁观他人的痛苦”和 “把苦难变成欣赏对象”的批评，确需警惕和深思，但是摄影家“旁观他人的痛苦”的痛苦怎样解决？是赵震海这样有这份心就好的？还是贾玉川式的能出手时就出手？纪实摄影干预、影响社会，有效帮助弱势群体的功能的实现，同时取决于摄影之外的社会系统，摄影家的拍摄仅仅是用影像发出声音。正如米切尔·福柯所指出的：我们谈话和思考方式的真理效应，是由社会中的权力机制对我们的行为施加的影响来决定的。
　　今天的纪实摄影家已不再奢谈人文关怀，人文精神已经积淀下来，沉入职业操守，化为中国纪实摄影的精神内涵。 

　　21人的照片放在一起很容易形成比较，细看一番下来发现真应了两句老话：文如其人；性格决定命运。
　　朱宪民的性格中有一种恒定的质朴与本色，在半个世纪的摄影道路上，不论拍摄黄河还是北京或者周游天下，他始终用朴素自然的影像，表现普通百姓日常生活，于是本能与惯性控制着相机的快门，质朴与本色成为他的影像风格。于德水的平和安静中隐藏着执著，经过了许多年的上下求索，他终于走进了一种无染无着的自由境界，一种了无挂碍的自在状态，拍摄就是和乡民们一样的日常生活，或者说就是和乡民们一样的活着，他的心情舒展而平静，目光从容而随和。他的镜头越来越远，影像越来越“空”， “大空间的人地关系”成为他的影像风格。闫新法是一个一条道走到黑的人，只用黑白胶片，只拍中原乡村，坚持手工暗房，他的影像和他的人一样——纯粹而厚实 。姜健不会这样一辈子只做一件事，他善于计划，每一个时期做一件事情，大事小事节奏分明，错落有致，因此它的身后是一串清晰足迹：古戏台——场景——主人——孤儿档案，这是主线、大事，其中穿插的纱阁戏人、我们的幼儿园、筑城者还有丹麦自行车也都做的有板有眼，正如刘树勇所言，姜健是河南最先能够“细作”的摄影家。秦军校有一个风风火火的性格和四处奔波的命，在河南先后移居深圳的一批摄影家中，他是唯一一个在深圳站稳脚跟后又以中原或者说北方为摄影主战场的人，他的《婚俗与丧俗》、《终结小脚》都不是坚守一地所能完成的。罗勇仿佛天生就有开画廊的特质，严谨透辟，注重细节，追求极致。他从不乱拍照片，《火车站》、《步行街》、《大相中国》都可谓是宏篇巨制，一旦确定，务必完成。虽都是街头场景，但相机选择、踩点、天气、机位、瞬间都慎之又慎，因此能够经得起凝视细品，绝无扫街信手拈来之匆忙。比之罗勇的中规中矩，王豫明堪称怪才，总不按常理出牌，《早晚》、《呓语》、《圆中园》、《慌神的都市》等等一个接一个的专题，用真的像呓语一般的语言表达奇特诡异的感觉，完全颠覆了人们习惯的视觉样式，有一种古怪精灵的自由放任。贾玉川所做的事只有他这样的人才做得到，所料不及便卷入事件，行侠仗义，使出浑身解数救人于水火，真性情、真汉子。牛国政则沉稳老道，深思熟虑，不动声色，《练功》只是他许多专题中的一个，让人叫绝，足见功力深厚。从早期的成就看，王凡给人更多的期待，到深圳以后，一份中国重要金融杂志的首席摄影师的优势地位想他必定会有所作为，但他却在较长的一段时间内沉寂下来，当时觉得王凡太过文气，多一点风风火火才好。《老板》推出才恍然明白，文气有文气的做法，沉得住气，谋篇布局，有序推进，一个一个拿下在中国经济发展中叱咤风云的大佬，这个专题的独特和意义毋庸置疑，宋聚岭把它称做“当代中国影像的‘财经本纪’”。周振华和王树洲同在河南辉县文化馆工作，一直没有变动，周振华从1968年代末开始摄影，王树洲晚一些1972年开始，周振华自然成为王树洲的老师。这师徒二人赶上了辉县学习大寨战天斗地的年代，他们的照片都为宣传而拍，今天从这些极为认真的影像中，依然能够感到他们的责任心，他们对技术的刻苦钻研，他们在如何地兢兢业业地做好本职工作，看到那个时代摄影人的风貌。
　　不再一一赘述了，但要说一下赵震海。赵震海的性格中有一种进乎偏执的情绪，所以他的从唯美到纪实的转型果断而决绝，他的反省深刻而尖锐，他曾在一份发行量很大的报纸做摄影记者，经常因坚持己见而与报社发生冲突，当他痛感摄影无助于他拍摄的受苦百姓时，真的疏远了纪实摄影。不幸他患上了失忆症且日益严重，他曾把真诚的关爱付与了受苦的百姓如今自己陷入了生活的困境。他是这个展览中作品唯一不是自己签名而由家属代签摄影家。全视画廊曾经为援助赵震海举办义卖活动，“中国事像20+1”将是援助义举的延续。    摄影家的性格和内化的知识与经验，作为恒定的因素渗透到他的精神和行为，化为作品的深刻内涵，是我们阅读摄影家及其影像的重要依据。我们其实缺少正真的摄影家研究，或者支离破碎、浮光掠影，或者仅从外部进行类型化的分析，很少走进摄影家的内心世界、精神深处，去发现一个生命与影像联系的奥秘，为此我们失去了很多最为宝贵的东西。
　　
　　21位摄影家的作品清晰地表明了纪实摄影的两种态势，一是早期的“决定性瞬间”式的纪实热潮正在消退，新的观念和新的语言不断生成着新的样式，纪实摄影已经形成多样化格局；二是这种多样化格局的形成，表现出一个从客观呈现到主观表达、从信息采集到精神释放的转向。这一方面说明了纪实摄影的实质性进展，另一方面也显示出纪实摄影与整个中国和世界摄影发展趋势的吻合。这种变化为纪实摄影开辟了新的精神空间，使纪实摄影有了更大的思想含量，更强的批判力度，更自由的叙述方式，但是也会提出新的问题，比如，个人化、陌生化的表达往往会超出人们的视觉经验和思维惯性，带来了解读的困难，还有在不少摄影家的影像里纪实与表现的界限已经十分模糊，比如田野、王豫明的作品。他们的影像实际上已经构成了对传统纪实摄影的挑战。我们还需要界限吗？界限模糊了，底线在哪里？有人把这些观念性个人化的作品称为“新纪实”，界限找不到了，概念如何清楚得了？在纪实摄影越来越观念化的时候，传统纪实摄影的价值和意义还要不要坚守？诚然，当代艺术中的媒介是以歧义性、多样性、不确定性以及媒介间的相互作用为特征，而不是纯粹性，但这并不表示可以无视差异。
　　问题还不止这些。我们总把纪实摄影与记录历史联系在一起，不错，一旦出现时间落差，当下的记录便成为历史。纪实摄影就这样自发地、自然地、自动地记录历史？还是说纪实影像仅仅具有记录历史的性质？如果说碎片的连接就是摄影的历史书写，那么不同的连接是否会出现不同的面貌？我们已经生活在一个由无处不在的海量的图像所定义的社会中，或许我们应该关注一下，摄影出现以后，人类历史经验的性质和式样发生了什么变化？
　　画廊推出一个这样重量级的展览，当然有一个市场的考虑，但我们究竟要收藏什么：历史还是艺术？玛莎·罗斯勒指出：对于纪实图像，随着时间的推移，人们的注意力会越来越转向摄影家本人，而不是被摄对象，原因是每一个图像都包含着双重功能模式，从社会层面上承载着直接的、工具的或者证据的意义，同时还包含了传统意义上审美——历史的功能，审美功能一开始接受度很低，但会随着时间增加，因为审美功能与历史无关，而且在相当程度上让人忘却了图像最初是关于什么的，图像的指示功能瓦解为表述的功能。我们是该选择未来还是当下？
　　“中国事像20+1”似乎在不断地把我们引向对问题的思考之中。思考或许没有结论，但收获已在思考之中。

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　　21 photographers, half-a-century time span, such a large scale, so that China’s Objects and Events 20+1 can become a text to have a holistic view of contemporary Chinese documentary photography. Behind the works, these photographers have experienced their own wonderful life, which also reflects the tortuous historical development of Chinese documentary photography.
   
　　In 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC opened the prelude to the reform and opening up, Chinese society entered a new era. China’s photography started to change from an ideological mode to fully serve the politics towards a diversified pattern in the tide of social change. In April 1979, the establishment of Beijing April Photography Association and the first exhibition of “Nature · Society · Human” were regarded as the beginning of photography in the new period, which has the milestone significance. The exhibition of art regression, advocating the concept of personality and reflecting free national spirit, and presence of all kinds of photography forms, including documentary photography, conceptual photography, salon photography, experiment photography and so on, brought great impact and profound enlightenment to the current photography circle, and predicted the diversified development of photography. However, April Photography Association and its photography exhibition is an accidental meeting, which is neither a necessary result, nor with corresponding civil foundation, after release of the accidentally collective energy, it quickly dissipated, the history still run with its own inevitability and great inertia, then the wind of aestheticism came quietly, such aesthetic trend wiped out the great influence of April Photography Association, and swept across the whole of the 80s.
　　There are many inevitable aspects for the rise of the wind of aestheticism. First of all, as required by the age of change, more moderate de-political ideological form is used to collapse and eliminate political ideological mode completely; Second, when there is doubt about whether photography is art or not, aesthetic form is needed to prove and establish the art identity of photography; then, whereas there is no traditional mode in their own, and do not know anything about the world photography conditions, the photography can only be molded with the aesthetic style and aesthetic criteria of the painting, which is also one of plane arts; additionally, after the running of cultural revolution, such easy and joyful aesthetic form conforms to the social psychological needs of the masses.
　　The increasing rise of aesthetic trend, but documentary photography has stumbled. The reflection of social reality itself is a sensitive political issue, a word such as “old and shabby” is enough to put people as inferior. So different concepts are proposed ragingly, Beijing April Photography Association started the new exhibitions, a strong “northwest” wind was coming. Shaanxi groups published articles and works in succession, held “Arduous Journey” national photography competition and national photography aesthetics symposium, directing at the photography mode of “left” ideology and “high, big and complete and red light”, they represented the awakening and struggle of the masses, they had no compromise after suffering from exclusion and strike, what they have done is to open up the way forward to Chinese documentary photography, and to provide legal basis for the documentary photography which was rejected, criticised and so called “old and shabby” because of facing towards the society. All of these constitute the social atmosphere and basic situation of the photography in the 80s.
　　In those days, many photographers who took to the road of the documentary photography have experienced a difficult and painful transformation, such transformation includes two aspects, one is from aestheticism to documentary, second is from ideological to facing towards the society. In the Golden Times, took by Zhao Zhenhai in 1985: The woods in the backlight show orange, girls playing badminton are young, the whole picture is sweet and beautiful, this works was elected in the 3rd International Photography Art Exhibition. His Pearls over Wooded Mountains is full of the beauty of rhythm, which won third prize in the 1st National White-Black Art Works Exhibition in 1986. During this period, a lots of his works won the prize, however, in the later period, he firmly changed to documentary, took historical documentary “Last Generation of Traditional Farms in the Central Plains” and “Coal Mining Workers in Gangue Mountain” paying attention to vulnerable groups and other documentary films. Thinking back, he wrote: “Ten years ago, I was unscrupulous, and eager to take some sweet things to win the prize and gain advantages”. Yu Deshui, started to learn painting in 14 years old, and became a local young artist in his 20s, after getting into photography in the late 70s, his artistic quality and basic painting became perfect in the aesthetic trend, many works which have dainty lighting, rigorous composition, and life interest were published and won the prize in the newspapers and national major film exhibitions, forming his first peak, and he was quickly taken place in the national photography circle, and also became the representative figure of youth generation photographers in Henan province. However, people see only the brilliant achievements and literary talents of Yu Deshui, a rising start, no one knows behind such aura, a heart is painful and suffering from polishing. In Dec. 1983, Popular Photography Magazine held 2nd National Youth White-Black Photography Exhibition for Nine Artists in Pu’an Temple, Beihai Park, Beijing. At that time, it is a very high specification, and closely watched exhibition, even it is a glory and a kind of authority to enter into the exhibition. Yu Deshui was proud of himself, however, when he saw the works on the wall which have once brought him many honors, he suddenly felt shameful, the sacred art palace in his heart fell down, he realized that he can’t stand, and staggered out of the temple, sitting down in front of the stairs. 20 years later, he received an interview with China Photography Magazine about the feeling at that time, he still can’t calm down and said: “I don’t know how I was blush with shame on those empty works, in fact, I came there through great efforts. I ran out that time, and never went in again”. Facing towards this deeply troubled land, and difficult villagers, he felt ashamed for his own negligence and whitewash, self-accused for his frivolous and superficial works, and pricking for his art creation and works which deviated from true life. From this moment, he flatly refused with own past, completed a solemn and stirring “phoenix nirvana”. Later, he called this winter as “the birth of a life spirit”.
　　These photographers’ introspection and thinking reflect the requirements of development of photography in the changing period, condensate the achievements in the reform and opening up, promote the era of documentary after the aesthetic trend. We found from their experience, the photographers after reflection transformation have a very profound reflection and spirit consciously, they dare to deny and judge themselves, once they underwent transformation, they will firmly stick it, and dedicated the life to the road they have chosen.
   
　　The development of photography in the new period is driven by social change and rise of all kinds of literature and art thoughts on the one hand, and also needs to find thought resources from their own history, thus, a dusty history is revealed. In the last 20-30s, China has appeared a peak of photography art. In 1923, Peking University had the first photography group in China – Light Community (Guangshe), after a few years, Chinese Community in Shanghai, Heibai Community, Nanjing Art Community, Guangzhou Landscape Community, Hongchuang Community, Bailv Community, Hong Community etc. Tianpeng, Chinese photography magzine, Morning Wind, Flying Eagle, Pictorial Photography, Huachang Photography Monthly, Photography Circle etc., and other magzines were published successively or simultaneously, influential photography activities were held frequently, a large number of works were elected in overseas photography activities, with the scale bigger than Japan, and China’s photography art boom ushered in the first time. At that time, the photography groups mainly consist of high and intermediate intellectuals, so that the starting point of our photography art positioned at a higher cultural level, and can build up Chinese basic form of photography art in more than ten years, its overall style is under the influence of Chinese traditional painting, and called art photography. After entering the 30s, ethnic tensions escalate, photography called for social reality, however, as the total resistance of gunfire began in 1937, all photography groups disappeared and publications and activities were closed, this page was in the past. Since then, China’s photography has entered a “fracture- reconstruction” historical mode, i.e. each historical period is an overall transformation, namely, carry out non-repetitive construction without inheriting, but to deny the previous period. The early art photography has been forgotten, photography goes to the battlefield, and has realized the overall transformation for the purpose of serving revolutionary war, with the main body of news photography, under the fire smoke of the Anti-Japanese War and liberation war; after the founding of new China, in order to build new China’s photography art under jurisdiction of literary federation, first of all, turn on the news photography as a whole into the art world, and then according to the uniform requirements of news and artistic standard, it shaped new artistic form of China’s photography of “dual attribute”, and was completely ideological, forming the unified creation of “high, big and complete and red light”; entering the new period, under the condition of social change, it rejected old ideas and creative mode of photography, started to rebuild exploration process of photography art, China’s photography started a new way to overall transformation by rejecting the past. “Fracture- reconstruction” interrupted natural growth process of photography art again and again, each period is not fully developed, and each period is without sufficient academic view, its direct consequence is: China’s artistic photography has works instead of accumulation, has history instead of tradition. Therefore, when looking for thought resources from own development of documentary photography, there are less discovery, then, we turned to the world. The world documentary photography is a very deep reserves. When the world photography was introduced into China, we found the hidden political and cultural choice from the order of introduction. The first to be introduced was Chen Fuli, from Hong Kong, China in the 70s and Ansel Adams, from the United States of America in the early 80s, their scenery works didn’t contain direct political information. The introduction of Ansel Adams made Chinese photographers relatively see a world famous photographer’s works, and the largest influence is Chen Fuli, who caused great sensation in the National Art Museum of China in 1979, through wide spread by the media, his picturesque scenery photography boosted the rise of the aesthetic trend. Documentary photography was introduced in the mid and late 80s, with the exploration pace of documentary photography, mild Cartier-Bresson first came to China, each of his perfect works and his “decisive moment” aestheticism conquered Chinese documentary photographers, in the same wowing, his aesthetic influence on documentary was ignored, he has once said that: I am not competent for any report task, which is well aware after a long time. In the early 90s, after ten years of reform and opening up, social progress of emancipating the mind, and in the increasing growth of documentary photography, W. Eugene Smith, William Klein, Auguste Sander, Josef Koudelka, Diane Arbus, Mary Ellen Mark, Duane Michael and other strong documentary photographers arrived, and some photographers, who can’t be classified clearly, such as: Frank, Nan Goldin, Pop artist Andy Warhol, etc came later, then, with the improvement of openness and channels, some foreign photographers and works would be introduced as a new normal. This order shows that the introduction of world documentary photography is not only for the need of reality, also is a kind of political choice, which coincides with the process of China’s social change and the attitude and scale to accept foreign culture. The order of introduction will be marked in the development of documentary photography in the new period. Though the earliest documentary photographers have been highly personalized, from time to time, “decisive moment” of Cartier-Bresson will be seen, such as: Zhu Xianmin, Yu Deshui, Yan Xinfa, Zhao Zhenhai, Li Jiangshu, Qin Junxiao etc., the later ones such as: Jiang Jian, as if influenced by the environmental portraits of Auguste Sander, some of Luo Yongjin’s southern architectural works can let person associate to the typology of Bernd & Hilla Becher, some young photographers, such as Wang Tong and Tian Ye would have stronger concept expression. For the documentary photographers since the new period, whether he/she has been directly influenced by a certain or some world documentary photography master, the history of world documentary photography is the nonoptional thought resources for them, perhaps, this situation may be changed in the future.
   
　　Humanistic concern is one important sprit of documentary photography in the new period from world documentary photography, which profoundly affects the photographers’ emotional position and shooting method, especially in the face of vulnerable groups, and even representing moral integrity of photographers. Yu Deshui indicates more than one time that, he is a part of farmer groups, and he hates looking downward the farms from the feelings, the photographer should take photos with a kind of love and share their attitudes, treating the farmers as a prop or predatory photography are the most angry actions. Yan Xinfa always said that he is a farmer. Zhao Zhenhai thought the sympathy on farmers is not enough, also with a condescending attitude, a kinship shall be provided. Thus they gained a psychological balance: “Thanks to the equal relationship, though I took what I want from them - photos, but it will never be moral plunder.” (Zhao Zhenhai “Taking Photes on Coal Mining Workers in Gangue Mountain”) Do not doubt their sincerity, but what relationship does all this have to do with their subjects? What help could offer for their poverty, misery or weakness? They finally sadly found that their own identity and kinship are just a wishful thinking of self psychological comfort. Lewis Hine’s Child Labor promoted the promulgation of Child Labor Law, FSA documentary photography movement has affected the economic policies of the great depression in the United States, especially the Hope Project of Xie Hailong makes people feel that documentary photography has strong power to intervene, and affect society, and even change the fate of the photography subject. But that is not the case, even if migrating mother, one of the most famous pictures of Dorothea Lange during FSA documentary photography movement represented an era, and became the symbol of strength and maternal love in the depression period, but Florence Owens Thompson, that mother with seven children living a very difficult life in the photo didn’t get any help. Lewis Hine is a photographer of Child Labor Committee, FSA documentary photography movement was launched by U.S. government, Hope Project was sponsored by China Youth Development Foundation, all of which are not purely personal act. In order to change the tragic fate of the subject, Jia Yuchuan offered direct help, and succeeded, but he has gained support from media as a journalist, and carried out a lot of social work in the form of news reports. Sincere humanistic concern and helpless regret are entangled with many documentary photographers, and also have affected Zhao Zhenhai’s view of documentary photography: what can his image bring to the society? The remote rural farmers lack of food and clothes, and children unable to go to school there, can your images let them return to school? The photos are not as good as a cup of water to quench thirst. Thus, I don’t pay much attention to the old dreams on photography, as it is too weak, too useless! (Zhao Zhenhai Photography for Farmers).
　　Not only the tangle of photographers and criticism from comments: Documentary photography finds the beauty of image in the sufferings of the society, in the name of humanistic concern, creating poetic representation or metaphor, abstracting social problem into aesthetic or philosophical experience, and also forming their own artistic style. This kind of criticism on “watching the pain of others” and “turning suffering into appreciation” criticism need to be vigilant and careful, but how to solve the photographers’ suffering on “watching the pain of others”? Is it enough that Zhao Zhenhai has this mind? Or offering help just like Jia Yuchuan when it is necessary? Documentary photography interferes or affects the society, helps the realization to help social vulnerable groups, and depends on social system beyond the photography, photographers’ photography is only give sound with the images. As Michel Foucault pointed out: Our talking and thinking way is decided and influenced by the power mechanism in the society.
　　Documentary photographers today are no longer talking much about humanistic concern, and humanistic spirit has been accumulated, sank into the ethics connotation, and became the spirit of China’s documentary photography.
   
　　It is easy to compare in a picture of 21 persons. You can find if observe carefully that the style is the man and fate is decided by character.
　　There is a constant simple and natural color in character of Zhu Xianmin. On the way of photography over the half century, whether shooting the Yellow River, Beijing or travelling the world, he always presents daily life of common people with simple and natural images. Therefore, instinct and inertia control shutter of camera providing a simple and unadorned image style. Yu Deshui has hidden persistence in gentleness and quietness. After years of seeking, he has finally gone into a pure and free realm in a careless comfortable status. Shooting is daily life like villagers or to live like a villager. His heart is stretching and calm with free and easy sight. His shot is farther and farther and image becomes more and more empty. “Relation between human and land in large space” has become his shooting style. Yan Xinfa is a person who won’t return until the end. He only adopts black and white film, only shoots villages in the Central Plains and insists manual darkroom. His images are like him – pure and thick and solid. Jiang Jian won’t only do one thing in all his life like this. He is good at planning, one term one thing in clear and ordered rhythm. Therefore, it is a string of clear footprints behind him: ancient stages – scenes – masters – orphan archives. They are principal line and great events interspersed by dolls, kindergartens, fortifiers and systematic Danish bicycles. As said by Liu Shuyong, Jiang Jian is the deepest and the most careful photographer in Henan. Qin Junxiao is rash and too much in haste and is fated to running around. Among the photographers moved from Henan to Shenzhen in succession, he is the unique one who has stand firm in Shenzhen but takes the Central Plains or north as a main battlefield of shooting latterly. His Marriage Custom and Funeral Custom and Terminal of Bound Feet cannot be completed just in one place. Luo Yong seems a person born to open a gallery. He is rigorous, incisive, detail oriented and pursuit of ultimate. He never shoots in confusion. Railway Station, Pedestrian Street and Big China are all great works, once confirmed must done. Although they are street scenes, but camera, place, whether, position of machine and moment are all selected with extreme prudence. Therefore, they can afford careful tasting without hasty on fingertips. In comparison with straight and narrow of Luo Yong, Wang Yuming can be called a maverick genius. He never plays according to convention. Sooner or Later, Dream Words, Round Park, Alarmed City and other subjects one after another express peculiar and strange feelings with dream word like words containing an eccentric unrestrained freedom, which have completely overturned visual pattern accustomed by people. What is done by Jia Yuchuan can only be done by a person like him. Involvement is much less than expectation. Having a strong sense of justice and ready to help the weak and saving others’ bacon playing all his cards, he is a man of true disposition. Niu Guozheng is ready steady, considerate and calm and collected. Practicing is one among his numerous subjects, which are applauded and show profound skills. Seeing from achievement in early days, Wang Fan is more expected. After he arrived at Shenzhen, he was thought that he must make a difference at a superior status as a chief photographer of a major financial magazine in China, but he kept quiet for a long time, when we thought that Wang Fan was too much gentleness and quiet and he should have more hurry. When Boss was pushed out, we suddenly realized that gentleness and quiet behaved gently and quietly, he could keep his equanimity in planning and advancing. He conquered bosses riding the whirlwind in economic development of China one by one. The subject was doubtless in uniqueness and meanings. Song Juling called it as “financial and economical chronicle of modern Chinese pictures”. Zhou Zhenhua and Wang Shuzhou work together at Henan Huixian Cultural Center, which has never been changed. Zhou Zhenhua started shooting since end of 1968. Wang Shuzhou was a little later and started in 1972. Zhou Zhenhua became teacher of Wang Shuzhou naturally. The master and apprentice caught up with the time of Huixian’s fighting the nature learning from large stockade villages. Their pictures were shot for propaganda. Nowadays, their responsibility, assiduous study of technology and assiduity can still be felt in these extremely careful pictures, which shows the style and features of photographers in that time.
　　Not giving unnecessary details anymore, it is necessary to mention Zhao Zhenhai. There is a nearly paranoid emotion in character of Zhao Zhenhai, so his transition from aestheticism to documentary is decisive and resolute and his introspection is profound and keen. He acted as press photographer at a newspaper of large circulation, when he had a lot of conflicts with the newspaper office for sticking to his colors. And, he was drifted apart from the documentary photography when he keenly felt that photography made no contribution to the suffered common people he shot. Unfortunately, he suffered from amnesia, which was serious day by day. He paid his sincere concern and love to the suffered common people. Nowadays, his life is in difficulties. On the exhibition, he is the only photographer whose works are not signed in person but by a family on behalf. The Pan-View Gallery has held charity bazaar for assisting Zhao Zhenhai. The “China’s Objects and Events 20+1” will be extension of the assisting chivalrous deed.
　　As a constant factor, photographers’ character and inner knowledge and experience will be permeated into their spirit and behaviors, which will be changed into deep connotation of work. It is a major basis for us reading the photographers and their works. Actually, we are lack of authentic research on photographers. What we have is fragmented, skimming over the surface or external categorization analysis. They never enter into inner world or deep spirit of photographers in order to find a secret connecting a life with image, so we have lost many most valuable things.
   
　　21 photographers’ works clearly show two situations of documentary photography. Firstly, the early “Decisive Moment” type documentary enthusiasm is fading away. New ideas and new language are constantly generating new patterns. Documentary photography has formed a diversified pattern. Secondly, formation of the diversified pattern represents a diversion from objective presentation to subjective expression and from information collection to spiritual liberation. On the one hand, it explains substantial progress of documentary photography. On the other hand, it shows coincidence of documentary photography with photography development trends of the whole China and the world. The change has opened up a new spiritual space for documentary photography and given documentary photography bigger thinking content, stronger criticizing force and more liberal narration mode. But, it has also put forward new problems. For example, personalized and strange expression often exceeds people’s visual experience and thinking pattern and brings difficulties in understanding. In pictures of many photographers, boundary between documentary and expression is very vague, such as works of Tian Ye and Wang Yuming. Actually, their pictures have constituted a challenge to traditional documentary photography. Do we still need a boundary? The boundary is vague. Where is the bottom line? Some people call these conceptual and personalized works as “New Record of Actual Events”. If the boundary cannot be found, how will the concept clear? When the documentary photography is more and more conceptual, do we need to stick to value and meanings of traditional documentary photography? Certainly, medium of modern art is featured by ambiguity, diversity, uncertainty and interaction of media, but not purity. However, it doesn’t mean difference can be ignored.
　　Problems are more than this. We always connect documentary photography with recording history. Ok, once time lag occurs, the current record will become history. Does documentary photography record history spontaneously, naturally and automatically like this? Or, does it mean that documentary photography has a feature of recording history? If connection of fragments is historical writing of photography, will different connection show different appearance? We have lived in a society defined by ubiquitous numerous pictures. Or, we shall concern what change will have in property and pattern of human historical experience after photography appears.
　　Certainly, to pushing forward such a heavyweight exhibition, the gallery has concerned market, but what shall we enshrine, history or art? Martha Rosler pointed out that for documentary pictures, people would more and more concern the photographer but not the shot object as time went by because every picture contained double functional patterns. They carry direct instrument or evidence meaning on the social level as well as traditional aesthetics – historical function. At beginning, acceptability of the aesthetic function will be low. But, as time flies, because the aesthetic function is irrelevant to history, and to a certain degree, people will forget the initial meaning of the picture, directive function of picture will be collapsed into presentation function. Shall we select future or current?
　　The “China National Affairs Image 20+1” seems constantly leading us to consideration on questions. Consideration may have no conclusion, but harvest will be achieved in consideration.