Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #382894 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.com Review
Despite the odd title, which refers to one of the guiding principles of scientific and philosophical inquiry, this is an accessible collection of essays, ideas, and personal experiences. As far as author Bill Jay is concerned, photography encroaches on all aspects of life, and he touches on a wide range of topics. He addresses young photographers in particular, whom he advises that "each photograph you take is like a pebble dropped into the pond of consciousness, its never-ending ripples lapping upon everything." The book is illustrated with Jay's wonderfully inventive montages of Victorian wood engravings, which alone are almost worth the price of the book.

Customer Reviews

You're normal, the artist's statement was written by someone on drugs
The next time you go to a gallery or museum to see a photography exhibit and can't make heads or tails of the artist's statement or the curator's description about the work (and you also speak the same language that it is written in) then read this book to feel better. Occam's Razor is a serious and well written critique of certain aspects of the world of Fine Art Photography, certain types of academic programs in photography and other related areas. An unusually entertaining and fairly quick read for a book on a subject like this.

Thoroughly entertaining
I bought this collection of essays for the title and its implications in connecting one of the core intellectual principles of science to photography. Bill Jay succeeds quite will in this endeavor through positive assertions of the value of the artisan and photojournalistic aspects of photography over "Fine Art" photography. However, the criticisms of "criticism" and other pseudo-intellectual posturing, including some very funny send-ups, dominated my reading and enjoyment of the book. A particulary acerbic example from a section of the essay "Madonna Made Me Do It" entitled "Get a Rap" goes as follows:

"Copy down a paragraph (any one will do) from a current critical theorist. Memorize it. Then, in front of the mirror, practice a halting, stumbling delivery with screwed-up face until you can recite it as if ther words were being laboriously dredged up from deep in your psyche with gut-wrenching sincerity."

The book was a joy to read and I recommend it to anyone who likes photography but isn't very fond of the blather that surrounds so much of it. The "woodcut" illustrations were a nice bonus.

A few ideas but much rambling
An uneven and loosely connected collection of essays on photography ranging from very instructive (the insight on the cultural context surrounding "The Family of Man" exhibit) to absolutely uninformative (the interview with Diane Arbus where much is made of her reluctance to speak but what is actually discussed after she relaxes & actually gets to talk remains a mystery. Likewise the interview with Bill Brandt where nothing is discussed).

The text is written in a very readable fashion but the style is patronizing and dominated by cliches and commonplace arguments.

In my view, many of the discussions address the concerns of teen-agers interested in becoming photographers. This is perfectly legitimate but it may put off readers who do not fall in this category.

3 stars for the truly informative discussion on Steichen's exhibit and for the lovely illustrations which together justify the purchase.