"Henan is my hometown, I respect this homeland that gave birth to me, I am in awe of this mighty Yellow River that gave birth to the Chinese nation, I respect this Central Plains that originated from Chinese civilization, and I respect the people who have lived here for generations. Sticking to the locality, the camera is always facing the hometown, to life, to the people, is the love and attachment of my life, but also from the heart to the hometown of the affectionate kiss and embrace without abandonment. —Photographer Hu Li, self-described
If it were not for the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, photographer Hu Li should be busy sorting out his own shooting materials, doing desk work on the project at hand, or rushing on the way to shoot, in short, he has always been low-key, he would not take the initiative to accept an interview that needs to be self-"marketed".
Hu Li, born in 1955 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, asked to leave his post early in 2000 during the streamlining of government agencies and turned to photography. I have been to the countryside, I have been a soldier, I have screened movies, I have been on the battlefield of the "self-defense counterattack against Vietnam"... Life experiences are not untold. For him, "After life and death, still alive, I am content." "These keywords that have run through most of his life have influenced his outlook on life, values and style of doing things for people." I think that since I want to specialize in photography in the second half of my life, just shoot some "flowers and grasses", the requirements for myself are too low, and I want to play photography in the 'door' as much as possible. ”
Around 2009, Hu Li encountered many folk "drama groups" when filming "Zhongyuan", and his fresh vitality was rooted in the simple love among the villagers, and the most direct communication and mutual comfort deeply touched him. In order to shoot this group of "Central Plains Dramatists", he did a lot of desk work, read the history of Chinese theater culture, went to a professional theater troupe to understand the process of performance and one move and one style, and tried to shoot on the stage, he felt that it was not the right way and not "strong enough". Eventually, he returned to the field and photographed "native peasant actors", forming this complete set of portraits. Unfortunately, it has never been published in the media.
Today, 10 years later, when this group of photos is presented through other channels, the vitality of the picture is still vigorous and amazing. The surging news reporter took this opportunity to take advantage of the short break in the epidemic situation of Teacher Hu Li to chat about his understanding of photography and creative ideas.
2009, Lushan, Henan.
Q: When did you start experimenting with photography?
A: I was born in 1955, and people born in this era should have more experience. At that time, I didn't have enough to eat, and there was no chance to read books, when I was 14 years old in junior high school, I went to the Provincial Cultural Palace with my classmates to find books to read, read pictorials, read newspapers, but didn't read the words, all looked at pictures. When I had the opportunity, I made film and washed photos with my good classmates, and I felt that the process of image appearance was magical, and I fell in love with photography ever since.
Q: Each group of works is very solid, how did you determine the style and positioning of your photography?
A: I was born in 1955, and people born in this era should have more experience. When I was a child, I didn't have enough to eat, and I didn't have a chance to read books well. I like to take photos when I was 14 years old in junior high school, when I was out of school, I went to the Provincial Palace of Culture with my classmates to read pictorials and newspapers, and looked for photos from newspapers and periodicals. When I had the opportunity, I made film and washed photos with my good classmates, and I felt that the process of image appearance was magical, and I fell in love with photography ever since.
A: After returning to China after the war in 1979, he saved up two months' salary to buy his first Seagull 203 camera. Since I left my post in 2000, I have photographed about 10 photographic topics in the past 20 years, and the gallery has also held several solo exhibitions. The real specialization in photography began after 2000. After leaving the post, I had free time, wanted to enter the state of specializing in photography, and wanted to shoot something, so I began to learn the theory of photography on my own, while learning to shoot, learning to use the combination, groping forward in doing photography.
Learning from famous photographers and masters at home and abroad, reading their books and albums, from the beginning of liking Bresson's "decisive moment" and "geometric composition", to Kodka's "freedom and arbitrariness", many photography masters and masters have had a great influence on me at different stages. The purpose of my study is to take fewer detours and "use it for me.".
In 2000, I put forward three principles for myself: First, stick to the local area and photograph the things that are most familiar and interesting around me. The second is to pay attention to society and life, focusing on shooting humanistic themes that have undergone major changes or are about to disappear in ten to twenty years. The third is to do photography in a state of experimentation and exploration, and try to try and use a variety of image languages to express the subject.
I like "lens language", like to record images, like portraits, and at the same time hope to jump out on this basis to do images, so some of the things I shoot are "jumping" and "miscellaneous", which mainly stems from the fact that I like to try different languages of photography, not disturbed by the outside world, in a state of freedom and exploration, according to my own ideas to do photography.
Q: Going back to the "Zhongyuan Opera People" group of works, the environmental portraits of opera artists have actually been practiced once in "Zhongyuan" many years ago, what factors made you choose color photos and shoot them with a conceptual creative concept?
A: My so-called conceptual photography is a project that jumps out on the basis of years of documentary special shooting, and on the basis of hoping to express it in another language form.
This group of "Zhongyuan Dramatists" was filmed in 2009 after I filmed "Zhongyuan" for 4 years. I began to shoot "Zhongyuan" in 2006, during the temple fair in 2007 and 2008, I went to Lushan County, Henan Province twice to shoot, and I was very interested in the local folk troupe's "grass group" and the native "peasant actors", I took a lot of photos with the traditional documentary shooting method, but I always felt that it was not "strong enough", I hoped that on this basis, I jumped out and tried to use my favorite way to carry out another form of expression and recording. As a result, I conducted desk preparation for more than half a year, tried some personal favorite video methods, and compared the "professional actors" of the professional troupe with the "peasant actors" of Lushan County, and finally decided to shoot in the form I see now.
When I made "Zhongyuan Dramatists", I did it as a set of pictures that can be placed in the big project of "Zhongyuan" and are relatively independent.
I think that the roots of Chinese theater culture lie in the folk, and these peasants who spontaneously organize themselves together in their spare time to set up a "grass platform group" for singing opera, walk the streets and villages, do not read the songbook at the temple fair, and sing for a few days and nights are the peasants who really love drama. It is precisely because of them that the soil for the production of Chinese drama has been made, and only then has drama been inherited and developed. Therefore, the preparation time is very long, but the actual shooting cycle is not very long.
During the 2009 temple fair, I chose the time when they were singing on stage, and put them in the vicinity of the performance between the breaks when they walked off the stage. Henan Lushan mountain is a hilly landform, and the Funiu Mountain in the background is also very distinctive, allowing the actors to pose their favorite stage shape and take this set of pictures.
The choice of color is mainly to consider the needs of shooting the image of "Zhongyuan Dramatists" itself, and it feels that shooting with color film, the portraits of the characters taken are more realistic and rich, and there is no deliberate pursuit of contrast and contrast between the two.
Q: You have taken many portraits that are particularly impressive, how do you think about the value and power of portraits?
A: I like to shoot people, especially portraits. I think portraiture best embodies the "lens language" of photography, and is the most important feature that distinguishes it from art forms such as painting. The power of portrait lies in being meticulous, delicate, and able to withstand the product, to stand up to the look, to withstand the scrutiny.
So, I especially like to use a film format camera, and my favorite is the combination of the Mamiya 6 body and the 50mm lens.
Q: What kind of feelings do you have for your hometown?
A: In the past 20 years of shooting, I have always insisted on sticking to the local area, shooting special photographs in Henan Province, mainly on humanistic themes. The other is to use the advantages of relatively rich life experience to combine it with photography.
We in the Central Plains are very well communicated, and I have basically never encountered rejection. Of course, when I was shooting, I usually took a Polaroid camera or a small photo printer and gave the portrait to the subject on the spot.
Q: Photography will be more valuable because of its dissemination, and good works will have an impact in the sense of society, what kind of attitude do you hold?
A: I generally don't take the initiative to promote myself, more than ten years ago, I participated in some exhibitions, and I felt that it was time-consuming and laborious to organize and produce photos, prepare promotional materials, set up exhibitions, and so on. This "Zhongyuan" album is also made under the supervision of friends, from film selection, scanning, determining the use of drawings, adjusting drawings, writing articles, translation, design, plate making, printing, the whole process occupies me two years, really can not afford to consume. Moreover, one is that I feel that what I shoot is not right for the market. The second is that I think that photography is a very selfish thing, and there is no need to show it all the time. Third, due to age, I want to put my limited time and energy into taking pictures. I basically carry a camera with me every day, I take pictures almost every day, and the joy of my photography is in taking pictures. I had an agreement with a well-known domestic film friend that I would "stick to the shutter until I couldn't move the shutter."
For the promotion of pictures, my general way of dealing with it is that which institution is interested or a good friend likes it, I feel that the other party is also very good, just not too busy at hand, and I am willing to cooperate, so I try to provide it according to the requirements of the other party. But let me invest too much time and energy in self-promotion, I generally avoid.
Q: What are the projects going on?
A: I have been doing photography according to the steps of "eating one, looking, thinking about three", planning a lot of projects, and have been insisting on doing it, some documentary projects are a lifetime of attention and accumulation, and some projects that focus on concepts are also being done. This is not the final formation, not to their own satisfaction, it is difficult to be sure that there is an accurate statement, can only say roughly. For example, what we insist on doing now is: One is the continued attention and accumulation of the "Central Plains" project. The second is a series of projects with "time" as the clue. The third is the "阒..." series of projects. The fourth is the "color photo paper direct shooting process" project, which is actually a technical project, but because I am interested, I will do it. Some projects come out of filming and thinking, patting and patting, not knowing when something will pop up, let nature take its course.
Q: Do you have any comments or suggestions for young/new photographers?
A: I really like photography, it is best not to choose the way to survive on photography, because it is very difficult.
Hu Li is very clear that his identity is a spectator and recorder of society, which makes his shooting have a calm concentration and maintain a proper distance from the subject.
Hu Li has a heartfelt identification with the lives of the people of the Central Plains, without the usual excessive sadness and deliberate exaggeration, and in ordinary days, in the joy of the city customs, he shows a rich human nature.
Many of the special topics he has photographed have now become historical pictures that have disappeared and undergone great changes, leaving us with a figure of the Central Plains that is gradually drifting away and disappearing into historical time. ”
——Curator Chen Xiaoqi
(Interns Huang Jingchun and Yang Zhitong also contributed to this article)