Subscribe Now

Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter Your Name
Enter Your E-Mail

Sponsors

Internet Marketing
Business Letter
Nursing job opportunities


Categories




Sign Up Here

Home / Entertainment


Print | Send To Friends | Add To Favorites | Comment

The Art Of Magic

By: Preston Houer

Article Word Count: 471 words  [Comments (0)]
Total Views: 44 Views




What comes in to your mind when you hear the word "magic"? What

is magic? What is the ART of magic? According to World Book

Online Encyclopedia, "The word magic also refers to

entertainment in which the performer does tricks of so-called

magic. In such entertainment, neither the magicians nor the

audience believes that the performer has supernatural powers."



On the other hand, Paul Harris who is the author of "The Art of

Astonishment" defines magicians as "guides to astonishment".

Thus, magic can be defined as "an application of guided

astonishment." The three main branches of magic are "stage

magic", "parlor magic" and "close-up magic". Stage magic is any

magic that can be done on a stage. Stage magic is used to depict

the imagination. On the other hand, there's also "stand-up"

magic. If you've ever seen the Amazing Johnathan or Paul Kozak

perform, you've been witness to stand-up magic.



Magic can be categorized by the motivations and the performance

styles, but it does not end there. Here are some of the types of

magic according to motivation:



Parlor magic is performed right on the same floor level as the

audience, as opposed to a raised stage. Gospel is a special type

of parlor magic that is used to demonstrate religious (mostly

Christian) concepts. With the replacement of intimate nightclubs

by super-mega-nightclubs and comedy clubs, classic parlor magic

is rarely seen today. A distinctive branch of magic has

developed quite recently, called "close-up". Close-up magic,

like the other styles of magic, has developed its own individual

genres. Other types of close-up magic are "table-hopping",

"walk-around" and "street magic". All these magic happens in the

magician's and/or spectator's hands. This form of magic has

become increasingly popular due to its intimate nature.



After discussing the various ways and motivations of magic, it

seems appropriate to talk about the various types of "magic".

Eugene Burger, who co-authored the entitled "Magic and Meaning",

he mentioned the divisions of magic. First, there is the

"primary magic" which is the imagination.



Secondary magic, on the other hand, is drawn out of the

imagination and into the physical world. These include "ritual"

magic and "stage" magic. Ritual magic is directed to enhance

some aspect of life. A good example of this is magic performed

by an Indian shaman (i.e. the rain dance around a campfire).

Unlike stage magic, ritual magic relies on the imagination

itself.



Other types of magic are:



Detached magic, which is a form of ritual magic, wherein the

symbols used do not have direct significance to the individual

invoking the magic. Reflexive or trickster magic uses deception.

This differs from reduced deceptive magic as it focuses on

reminding and telling audiences its deceptive nature. Such

include gambling displays and "sucker tricks.

Grab this articles

Related articles


Newest Articles

Most Popular Articles