Magic (illusion)

"Illusionist" redirects here. For the artistic tradition, see Illusionism (art). For other uses, see The Illusionist (disambiguation).

Magic
The Conjurer, 1475–1480, by Hieronymus Bosch or his workshop. Notice how the man in the back row steals another man's purse while applying misdirection by looking at the sky.
Part of a series on
Performing arts

Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close-up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means.[1][2] It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.

Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form.[3] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls.[4] Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. Booth, and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic.[5][6][7]

Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet, with magicians such as David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Paul Daniels, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Derren Brown, Mat Franco, and Shin Lim modernizing the art form.[8] Through the use of social media, magicians can now reach a wider audience than ever before.

Magicians are known for closely guarding the methods they use to achieve their effects, although they often share their techniques through both formal and informal training within the magic community.[9] Magicians use a variety of techniques, including sleight of hand, misdirection, hidden compartments, optical and auditory illusions, contortionism and specially constructed props, as well as verbal and nonverbal psychological techniques such as suggestion, hypnosis, and priming.[10]

  1. ^ Foley, Elise (3 May 2016). "Do You Believe In Magic? Congress Does" Archived 2016-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  2. ^ Gibson, Bill (18 March 2016). "David Copperfield Is The Magic Force Behind A Must-Read Congressional Resolution" Archived 2016-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  3. ^ Recognizing magic as a rare and valuable art form and national treasure (H.Res 642). March 2016.
  4. ^ Steinmeyer, Jim (2003). Hiding the Elephant. Da Capo Press.
  5. ^ King, Susan (19 Nov 2013). "A look at the magicians of cinema" The Los Angeles Times
  6. ^ Gress, Jon (2015). Visual Effects and Compositing. San Francisco: New Riders. p. 23. ISBN 9780133807240. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. ^ Buffum, Richard (20 October 1985). "Magic Loomed Large in World of Orson Welles" The Los Angeles Times
  8. ^ Chambers, Colin (2002). Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre. Continuum. p. 471.
  9. ^ Rissanen, Olli; Pitkänen, Petteri; Juvonen, Antti; Kuhn, Gustav; Hakkarainen, Kai (2014). "Expertise among professional magicians: an interview study". Frontiers in Psychology. 5. Finland: 1484. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01484. PMC 4274899. PMID 25566156.
  10. ^ Pailhès, Alice; Gustav, Kuhn (2020). "Influencing choices with conversational primes: How a magic trick unconsciously influences card choices". Psychological and Cognitive Sciences. 117 (30): 17675–17679. Bibcode:2020PNAS..11717675P. doi:10.1073/pnas.2000682117. PMC 7395500. PMID 32661142.