Ever since the invention of photographic technology, in less than 200 years, photography has already become an indispensable part of our lives and work, profoundly altering our lives and perspective of viewing the world. Nowadays, with the advance of technology, photographic equipment can be quite easily accessed, and the marriage of smart phones and digital cameras already achieves the myth of universal camera possession available to everyone. Like many great inventions, when people get used to its companion and indulge in the convenience it brings along, photography of its core essence of charismatic mystery and eccentric—-the magic of reconciling the “instant” and “eternal”, the two contradictory concepts, is gradually being forgotten.
Since from the day of its appearance that dawns, photography is destined to change the course of visual arts. For over a century, its irreplaceable functionality and breathtaking expression have been leading enormous amount of people to explore and think, and its impact and destruction against the traditional art system has constructed the base of our current visual experience.
In this issue of ART.ZIP, we will, based on the introduction of photographers and their works, present to our readers the development of photography in the course of art and culture, the current developing situation of the related contemporary British photography, and invite every one of you readers with us to explore the fundamental meaning of photography.
自從攝影術發明以來，在不到200年的時間裏，“攝影”已經成為了我們生活和工作中必不可少的一部份，它深刻地改變了我們的生活，改變了我們觀察世界的視角。時至當下，隨著科技的日新月異，攝影器材已經變得唾手可得，智能手機與數碼相機的聯姻，更是實現了“相機”全民普及的神話。像很多偉大的發明一樣，當我們習慣了它的存在和沉溺於其帶給我們便捷的同時，人們漸漸忘卻了“攝影”本質屬性中那份充滿魅力的神秘和詭異﹣﹣一種將“瞬間”和“永恆”兩個矛盾概念相調和的魔法。
攝影術出現的那一天，它便註定要改變視覺藝術的進程。一個多世紀以來，其不可替代的功能性，攝人心魄的表現力引領無數人去探索和思考，他對傳統藝術系統的衝擊和破壞，建構了我們當下視覺體驗的基座。
這期雜誌，我們將以攝影師和他們的作品為出發點，為大家展示“攝影”在藝術文化領域的發展歷程，以及當下英國“攝影”相關領域的發展現狀，并邀請各位看官與我們一同探討“攝影”這一名詞的本質概念。
