Between the mountains and water is a photographic series by Chengdu based Chinese artist Zhang Kechun.
Mountains and rivers are always the heaviest carriers of Chinese people’s affection. The continental cultural awareness of making a sightseeing tour, the inherent cultivation consciousness of “mountains being virtuous, rivers being moral”, and the sense of visual illusion of a short distance away are always the main line of interpreting Mountains and waters.
My occupation gives me chances of making sightseeing tours, and makes me capable of re-examining the present Mountains and waters. China is undergoing high-speed changes and immerses itself in the excitement of prosperity. The trend of strong destructive power which cannot be halted is following. Under this circumstance, I seem to be very insignificant as an ordinary people. In the course of my traveling over land and water over the years, I am looking for those people who are still in company with mountains and waters. When taking photos, I exchange with my subjects. I join them, and it is up to the person being exchanged and me to press the shutter. I believe that I cannot feel stronger or more complicated when I am lost in it. Even for a transient moment, I feel so delighted to encounter classical and precious relics on the way. What come next are great anxieties that they are likely to disappear tomorrow.
Text and images © Zhang Kechun
