Magic (illusion)
The magic (also: Magic, sorcery ) is the art of making entertaining illusions created by tricks.
General
In order to achieve an illusion, get a variety of different techniques are used: psychology, utilization of perception gaps, tricks, optical illusions, tricky apparatus, utilizing commonly unknown physical relationships and mathematical laws.
Magic is used for entertainment of an audience that does not know the skills used. Most viewers know that the effects shown are achieved by application of tricks. They tend to either like the charm of, be enchanted by the magic of an artist or have fun to speculate about his methods. The attraction of a performance is next to the fascination about an illusion, especially in the production and their entertainment value.
Membership of relevant associations are connected to the code of honor, to preserve trick secrets. Is considered permissible to reveal tricks towards those who want to be active magician himself. For this purpose, there are numerous books and journals in which to seriously inform interested parties.
History
From magic one speaks only since the 18th century. The Art of pocket game, named after the juggler pocket for storage of props, has been observed on Hellenistic marketplaces. Many later magic tricks have a criminal origin as cheating, pickpocketing, Sham spiritualistic phenomena or fakir tricks. The earliest descriptions of magic tricks for entertainment purposes with playing cards, dated to 1593, but did not find any distribution. The first known book in which concrete magic tricks professional jugglers are described, was in 1584 The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot and served the public enlightenment, as in everything you did not understand the devil's work was seen. A first instruction book for sleight entitled Hocus Pocus Iunior. The Anatomy of Legerdemain appeared in 1634 in London. In recent centuries, the magic became a playful form of entertainment of its own kind, which goes only exceptionally in the near magical phenomena ( mental magic ). The history of magic was naturally influenced by the individual magicians. One of the oldest establishments, which has been dedicated since 1881 to the manufacture of magic supplies and equipment and also offers classes for children and adults, is the house of El Rei De La Magia in Barcelona.
Sectors and types
Conjurer
The historical sleight were hawkers, which tricks for attracting audience used to then peddle goods. It was most common in the squares and taverns on, often behind a table standing. The repertoire of sleight mostly confined to the cup game in which wander for entertainment purposes balls or nutmegs among the cups. From the disappearance of a nutmeg (French escamot ), the French " Eskamoteur " come and the German loan word " conjure away " ( wegmanipulieren ).
Street magic
The descendants of the conjurer are the street performers. You must be able to under sometimes difficult conditions, such as ringed to attract their audience in adverse weather and of unpredictable pedestrians. Mostly they play for a donation to the erected hat. Well-known artists are Chris Labim or David Blaine.
Stage magic
Art pieces that are appropriate about the size of the props ago for a large audience, the stage magic are attributed. Such performances often take advantage of the possibilities of professional platforms such as special lighting, etc. from. The stage magic was known in the 19th century by the Frenchman Jean Eugène Robert -Houdin and the British John Henry Anderson.
Illusions
" Illusionists " in the narrow sense are in the terminology of the magician those who work with large knitting equipment, so-called " Illusions ". With these elaborate art pieces late 19th century John Nevil Maskelyne, the Briton began in his London Magic Theatre, the first a man levitating through a hoop and others. Well-known modern artists are Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, Peter Valance, Florian Zimmer, Criss Angel, Marc & Alex, Peter and Hans Klok Marvey.
Magic with music
With the main tool of a magician is his lecture, which stimulates the imagination of viewers and distracts from his secrets. After the magician Theodore Bamberg was mute due to an accident, he explained his linguistic inability, by assuming the role of a Japanese Okito and conjured around the turn of the century the first to musical accompaniment. This resulted in a genre of its own, its aesthetics and communication follow specific laws developed.
Manipulation
Manipulators are in the narrow sense stage artists, who rely primarily on the skill of their hands. You conjure therefore predominantly with handy objects, typically to musical accompaniment. This genre was developed by Wiljalba Frikell in the 19th century.
Table Magic (micro magic, close-up)
Art pieces that can be pursued only at short range due to smaller props are usually referred to internally as " Close Up". The special attraction for the audience is in the vicinity which are apparently the "cheating " difficult. Typical close-up props are cards and coins. Coming from the USA has established itself in recent years in Germany the so-called "Table Hopping " in which the magician from table to table and migrates as his audience spellbound individually and gradually.
Maps Art
Tricks with playing cards are both on stage and on the table possible and so numerous that the magician look at the card art as a separate division.
Mentalism
Under mentalism refers to the imitation allegedly parapsychological phenomena through tricks, such as apparent mind-reading, for entertainment purposes, the apparent predictions of future events or Spukeffekte. It comes from the legacy of false spiritualists and charlatans tricky. Since mentalists for dramatic purposes often do not emphasize that they are Magicians and apply very sneaky tricks, viewers can not judge easily whether what is seen is to be taken seriously or not. A well-known representative is Uri Geller.
Comedy Magic
Most wizards, no matter what division to put their shows on humor. The Comedy Magic this is the focus, the spell effects are usually minor matter. Often, classic magic tricks are parodied, tricks seemingly go wrong, etc.
Children's magic
Also a special presentation form is the magic of children, the most loyal audience magician. Children is usually clear that the spell Künstlerer can not actually do magic. Asked here are artists with good empathy for child-oriented worlds of imagination and spirited reactions.
Outskirts
Also to magic include stuntmen and curiosities artists such as escape artist, tricky circus attractions, cheats demonstrations and stage pickpocketing.
Championships
In Germany every three years, hosted by the Magic Circle of Germany, German Championships of Magic held. In addition to winners in the categories also the title of German Champion of Magic has been awarded since 2008. In the following year leads the international umbrella organization by the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques with the World Championships of Magic the World Cup. There, too, an overall champion will be crowned in addition to the division winners with the Grand Prix winner.
Significant Magicians
- List of World Champion of Magic
- German Master of Magic
- Magician of the Year / writer of the year
- List of magicians in the Hall of Fame of the Society of American Magicians
- List of magicians
Magicians associations
The federated under the umbrella organization Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques 83 Magicians organizations from nearly 50 countries are found in the list of FISM members.