[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
ring" of
one action by another. When, for instance, a performer has to make the "pass"
with a pack of
cards, it is absolutely essential that the necessary movements of the fingers be
covered by an
apparently natural and unsuspicious action. He cannot face his spectators and
deliberately
make the pass, unscreened, before their eyes. At least, he cannot do so and
hope to create an
impression of magical results. He is therefore bound to do something that will
disguise the
real nature of his actions, and prevent the trick from being disclosed.
It is absurd for a magical performer to imagine that, because he has acquired
a certain
deftness of manipulation, a facility in juggling with the accessories he uses,
he must
necessarily be an expert in magic. Such is far from being the fact. In gaining
that kind of
skill, he has travelled only half the journey he must take before reaching his
goal-by far the
easier half, too. The technical perfection of his sleights has but little value in
itself. To be
made valuable it requires the aid of ingenious and effective disguise. Without
the latter, it can
only serve to make the spectators think the performer is clever with his
hands, and to prevent
that idea from being lost to sight. It thus emphasizes the very point which a
capable magician
wishes, above all, to keep in the background. When, however, by continued
study and
practice the performer has added to his mechanical skill the refinements of
disguise, clean
and artistic, then only is he in a position to claim the title of magical expert.
And then, also,
he will find that claim disputed by none capable of forming just conclusions
on such points.
In the same way, it is not enough that a magical performer shall provide him-
self with
trick-appliances which will bear more or less examination without the precise
nature of their
tricks becoming evident. It is not enough to have the sophistications hidden
by blobs,
thicknesses or deformities of "decoration," so that spectators cannot see what
is underneath.
On the contrary, magical appliances should be so constructed that their inner
devices are not
concealed by a mere covering of some sort, but are disguised by blending
with the general
structure. In fact, so far from suggesting the possibility of there being any-
thing discoverable,
a magician's accessories should rather look like objects of normal construc-
tion, which
nobody would associate with trickery.
This is particularly the case where an appliance is intended to resemble some
article
in general use, or the shape of which is familiar. For example, can there be
anything more
palpably absurd or more utterly unconvincing than the "feather-flowers" one
so often sees
produced by magical performers? They are like nothing else under the hea-
vens, and are as
innocent of any suggestion of magic as a child's rattle. There is no misdirec-
tion associated
with the use of things like these. There can be none. They are obviously made
of feathers;
they obviously close up into very small compass; and no amount of ingenuity
could ever
make an audience even regard their production as clever. As to throwing an
audience off the
scent in reference to the
modus operandi
of such a production, that is clearly impossible.
On the other hand, as an example of efficient disguise, let us take de Kolta's
little
dodge of concealing a small silk handkerchief within a half-opened match-
box. No device
could be simpler than this; nor, in its way, could anything be more perfect. A
common
match-box stands half-opened upon the table. With his sleeves rolled up, and
his hands
undoubtedly empty, the performer takes up the matches, strikes one, lights a
candle, blows
out the match and closes the box, replacing it on the table. It must be admit-
ted that the act of
conveying a handkerchief into one's previously empty hand could scarcely be
disguised in a
more unsuspicious manner. Unfortunately, the trick of thus concealing a
small object soon
became known, and consequently has now but little value. That, however,
does not detract
from the merit of the original device.
In connection with disguise, which is in reality nothing more than a special
form of
concealment, the question of display becomes of importance, by contrast.
While the magician
must use all his art to disguise and cover up what he does not require to be
seen, he is equally
bound to make sure that every moment and every detail that ought to be seen
shall be seen.
If, after having effectually secured himself in the matter of disguise, he so
bungles his
procedure and stage arrangements as to prevent people from seeing, half the
time, what is
going on, his good work will be wasted.
Simulation is a form of pretense. In disguise, we have the principle of making
one
thing look like another and entirely different thing. In the misdirection of sen-
se by means of
simulation, we have the principle of giving apparent existence to things that
do not exist, or
presence to things that are absent.
The billiard ball feat, already cited in this chapter, serves to illustrate the three
basic
principles of misdirection in magic. In the gaze of the performer, and the
pointing of the
fingers of his right hand, we have the principle of distraction. In the extended
position of his
right hand, intended to convey the idea that the ball is not held therein, we
have the principle [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
ring" of
one action by another. When, for instance, a performer has to make the "pass"
with a pack of
cards, it is absolutely essential that the necessary movements of the fingers be
covered by an
apparently natural and unsuspicious action. He cannot face his spectators and
deliberately
make the pass, unscreened, before their eyes. At least, he cannot do so and
hope to create an
impression of magical results. He is therefore bound to do something that will
disguise the
real nature of his actions, and prevent the trick from being disclosed.
It is absurd for a magical performer to imagine that, because he has acquired
a certain
deftness of manipulation, a facility in juggling with the accessories he uses,
he must
necessarily be an expert in magic. Such is far from being the fact. In gaining
that kind of
skill, he has travelled only half the journey he must take before reaching his
goal-by far the
easier half, too. The technical perfection of his sleights has but little value in
itself. To be
made valuable it requires the aid of ingenious and effective disguise. Without
the latter, it can
only serve to make the spectators think the performer is clever with his
hands, and to prevent
that idea from being lost to sight. It thus emphasizes the very point which a
capable magician
wishes, above all, to keep in the background. When, however, by continued
study and
practice the performer has added to his mechanical skill the refinements of
disguise, clean
and artistic, then only is he in a position to claim the title of magical expert.
And then, also,
he will find that claim disputed by none capable of forming just conclusions
on such points.
In the same way, it is not enough that a magical performer shall provide him-
self with
trick-appliances which will bear more or less examination without the precise
nature of their
tricks becoming evident. It is not enough to have the sophistications hidden
by blobs,
thicknesses or deformities of "decoration," so that spectators cannot see what
is underneath.
On the contrary, magical appliances should be so constructed that their inner
devices are not
concealed by a mere covering of some sort, but are disguised by blending
with the general
structure. In fact, so far from suggesting the possibility of there being any-
thing discoverable,
a magician's accessories should rather look like objects of normal construc-
tion, which
nobody would associate with trickery.
This is particularly the case where an appliance is intended to resemble some
article
in general use, or the shape of which is familiar. For example, can there be
anything more
palpably absurd or more utterly unconvincing than the "feather-flowers" one
so often sees
produced by magical performers? They are like nothing else under the hea-
vens, and are as
innocent of any suggestion of magic as a child's rattle. There is no misdirec-
tion associated
with the use of things like these. There can be none. They are obviously made
of feathers;
they obviously close up into very small compass; and no amount of ingenuity
could ever
make an audience even regard their production as clever. As to throwing an
audience off the
scent in reference to the
modus operandi
of such a production, that is clearly impossible.
On the other hand, as an example of efficient disguise, let us take de Kolta's
little
dodge of concealing a small silk handkerchief within a half-opened match-
box. No device
could be simpler than this; nor, in its way, could anything be more perfect. A
common
match-box stands half-opened upon the table. With his sleeves rolled up, and
his hands
undoubtedly empty, the performer takes up the matches, strikes one, lights a
candle, blows
out the match and closes the box, replacing it on the table. It must be admit-
ted that the act of
conveying a handkerchief into one's previously empty hand could scarcely be
disguised in a
more unsuspicious manner. Unfortunately, the trick of thus concealing a
small object soon
became known, and consequently has now but little value. That, however,
does not detract
from the merit of the original device.
In connection with disguise, which is in reality nothing more than a special
form of
concealment, the question of display becomes of importance, by contrast.
While the magician
must use all his art to disguise and cover up what he does not require to be
seen, he is equally
bound to make sure that every moment and every detail that ought to be seen
shall be seen.
If, after having effectually secured himself in the matter of disguise, he so
bungles his
procedure and stage arrangements as to prevent people from seeing, half the
time, what is
going on, his good work will be wasted.
Simulation is a form of pretense. In disguise, we have the principle of making
one
thing look like another and entirely different thing. In the misdirection of sen-
se by means of
simulation, we have the principle of giving apparent existence to things that
do not exist, or
presence to things that are absent.
The billiard ball feat, already cited in this chapter, serves to illustrate the three
basic
principles of misdirection in magic. In the gaze of the performer, and the
pointing of the
fingers of his right hand, we have the principle of distraction. In the extended
position of his
right hand, intended to convey the idea that the ball is not held therein, we
have the principle [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]