[Explain the difficulty] Difficulty illustrates the concept with examples.

Frankly speaking, when I first faced Qin Yuhai's "True Water Series" photography, I couldn't find the feeling of comment for a while. Although I noticed that there is no doubt that he was guided by the concept behind the naming of his works-true water is silent, true water is tasteless and true water is invisible-which can generally predict the philosophical and aesthetic quality of his works and the theoretical space for discussion. However, it is still difficult for me to describe the sensory touch brought by this group of images about "water". Because its transcendental form has changed our common sense and objective impression of "water", people may ask: are these images called "true water" still water? If they are not labeled as "water", who would suspect that it should be a process of cell division under a microscope, or something with rich colors and hard texture? If it is the product of an idea, it seems reasonable; It is not too strange to say that it is an abstract expression of symbols about water.

But I have noticed that the author himself is firmly opposed to wearing such a hat on his work. What he wants to emphasize more is the scientific nature of the production process and the scientific nature of the cognitive method. In this regard, he also made many explanations. When we look at his explanation in connection with these works, we will undoubtedly find that the philosophical thoughts and technical means of presentation hidden behind the works are always the unique secrets for Qin Yuhai to grasp the image structure and color. It is with this experiential vision that such a wonderful art form was born. In fact, for him, photography has become a kind of knowledge, a kind of knowledge about shooting technology, a kind of knowledge of re-understanding things, and a kind of knowledge of reinterpreting the structure of life. Can you imagine that behind the strict technical parameters, there are a pair of eyes that can not only see through nature, but also present nature as an ideology?

From the perspective of photography style alone, what Qin Yuhai expresses through his works is an image with a certain conceptual style, which seems reasonable, because there are indeed many traces of subjectivity or deformation in his images. It can even be said that he created a new form of photography, a stylized form. The "nature" in his works, from rivers, mountains and rivers to small waters, always presents a unique sense of life and form. As a photographer, his eyes often fall outside of reality and history. Isn't the truth of the so-called "true water" an image exposed outside reality and history? However, he has different experiences and discoveries from ordinary people in terms of sensitivity to form, care for color and polishing of technical indicators. In this sense, Qin Yuhai is not so much a conceptual photographer as a technical photographer with a strong sense of responsibility.

I think this may have something to do with his social status. Qin Yuhai said that his photography started with expressing a sense of social responsibility. In the practice of expression, I found and established my own unique style and formal symbols. When this form and style is formed, it can undoubtedly "create its own new meaning, seek its own new content, and then get rid of the familiar language mode and give the content fresh association" (Faucilhon's Life in Form). In my opinion, the author's rejection of the concepts of "concept" and "abstraction" does not necessarily mean that his works have no concept. Isn't the naming of "True Water" series itself a flaunt of ideas? What concept is more conceptual and abstract than the metaphysical statement that "true water is silent", "true water is tasteless" and "true water is invisible"? The difference between a successful photographer and a mediocre photographer lies in whether he can reach the other side of the concept from one side of science. Since photography was invented more than one hundred years ago, are there still a few photographers who are skilled but mediocre?

For Qin Yuhai's "True Water Series" photography, I had a private conversation with Brother Shu Feng. He believes that "the author is from shooting mountains to shooting water; From the appearance of beating water to the microscopic aspects of beating water; From odorless water to color, to invisibility, to change; Silence, focusing on abstract symbols. His understanding and feelings about water are contradictory. The author has repeatedly claimed that photography is the way to know things, but in fact he is taking the road of self-expression. " What Shu Feng said is very reasonable. From the viewpoint expounded by Qin Yuhai in an interview with China Photographer on 20 1 1, and the numerous photographs he presented today, we can really feel some contrasts in his understanding. To understand things, we should obviously pay attention to objectivity; Self-expression is inevitably subjective. However, it is precisely this contradiction and this fog entangled in cognition that, to some extent, has made Qin Yuhai's series of "True Water" as a photographer, as well as his composition of "scenery", his "natural perception" and his "scientific understanding" —— all the photographs he can provide and their causal statements show the richness of this color and the depth of his ideas.

Having said that, I found that in fact, silence is the best explanation.