Magic as an art form in the minds of the general public
5/4/2024
Why is it that we magicians constantly need to keep proclaiming to ourselves and others that magic is art? The painter, the filmmaker, the novelist, the musician – they are not required to explain to everybody that what they do is an art form. (Maybe the contemporary artist who duct tapes a banana on the wall, might have to convince others of that.)
It is most likely because of the fact that most magic performed by most magicians is not art. So we need to keep repeating it, in order to fool ourselves into thinking that most of our silly little tricks are something more than what they really are.
I think one of the biggest reasons why the general public doesn't see magic as an art form is that one usually doesn't find art at a booth on a trade show floor, or going from table to table at your nieces wedding. Or, from your friend in a cafe or a bar.
The audience also doesn't have enough context and experience to consider the difference of magic solely as an entertainment versus an art form.
The regular person might see a magician maybe, if they're lucky, once in their lifetime. Most likely at a party or an event. The magician is there to provide some light fun. And statistically, the magician then proceeds to show them the most proven "commercial" effects. The magician "dazzles" them with the sponge balls, and a strange looking paddle stick, the magician then proceeds to demostrate some antics with a rope, and then shows the latest and greatest self working gimmicked card trick, while reciting the tried and tested patter straight from the instructional video. The magician then moves on.
Or they might witness a mentalist, at a corporate event, predict who on stage ends up picking which piece of paper from a plastic bag, and where somebody else would like to go to a vacation. Or maybe the mentalist is mingling amongst the unsuspecting guests, and there tries to stun them with some lukewarm effects using business cards, trying to figure out if they have drawn either a house or a tree; or guessing which way a participant is holding a die, which cues its orientation to the "mind reader", by a separate device buzzing in the mentalists pocket.
How could anybody be left feeling that they have witnessed art?
It doesn't mean that they are not entertained.
The average person has a near zero chance of seeing artful magic being performed to its full potential. I think it's a bit much to expect them to think of magic as an art form, a topic which might never even cross their mind.
If we want magic to be taken seriously, and for magic to be widely considered as an art form, we need to raise the bar, and we need to figure out why, at the present time, we are only hired to slightly boost the fun-factor at somebody else's event. Or why, we, the self-proclaimed "most interesting person in a room at a party", have to keep asking if anybody wants to see a card trick.
When we can create interesting enough shows that the audience is willing to take the time, to come see the magician perform at a venue meant for performance, we will get the respect that we so desperately want from the general public. So far, only very few have really managed to make it happen.
What steps we need to start taking, and how would we achieve that? Is it even a realistic goal? Has magic lost it's appeal in the 21st century, and is eternally doomed to being just amusing entertainment?
And also for the amateur, we need to strive to perform at such level, that people will actually ask to see magic.
Lastly, should we just stop expecting others to give us credit for something we, in most cases, don't deserve?
- Max Arcanie