In recent weeks, I have expanded the MAGIC ART section on this site a bit. New entries feature the wonderful and diverse talents of artists–many of them also magicians–like Jonathan Allen, Tango Gao, Tommervik, Jay Fortune, Asi Wind, Antonio Cabral, and Vanni Pulé.
Take a look!
Der Brite Jay Fortune ist ehemaliger Profizauberer, der sich inzwischen u.a. der Malerei verschrieben hat. Einige seiner Porträts großer Zauberkünstler mit Kohle oder Tinte nach bekannten Fotomotiven sind sehr gelungen und zu fairen Preisen in seinem Online-Shop zu erwerben.
Addendum 04.09.2019:
Jay Fortune und sein Schwenk vom Zauberprofi zum Profimaler sind Gegenstand eines Interviews in der aktuellen Ausgabe des Magicseen Magazins. Der Artikel ist hier online abrufbar.
Recently, I came across a very interesting magic postage stamp from China, which was put out in 2001. It nicely depicts a version of the (Indian) Rope Trick. I’m not sure whether this stamp has been featured among collectors of magic stamps yet. I have not come across it, but I will need to check more sources. Anyway, here it is:
And there’s more to the story, maybe even of historical significance. The reason: This stamp is based on a short story already written by Chinese author Pu Songling in the 17th century…
(To be continued.)
Collectors, rejoice!
In late 2017, the U.S. Postal Service Office has announced a wonderful series of five stamps celebrating “The Art of Magic”, see below. I quote:
The Art of Magic
The Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with this pane of 20 stamps featuring digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences: a rabbit in a hat (production), a fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction), a woman floating in the air (levitation), an empty bird cage (vanishing), and a bird emerging from a flower (transformation).
I have yet to see the trick of a flower transforming into a bird in real life, but hey! I like the design of this series and will gladly add it to my collection. However, no exact publication date has been given yet.
The latest addition to my magic stamps collection came from France, where a series of circus images was issued last year, one of them featuring the proverbial rabbit in a top hat.
For more on magic stamps, look here within my world.
The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives become filled with joy.
Doug Henning (1947-2000)
Over the last weeks I have added numerous links and information in the ART section of this blog. So if you are interested in any of the following names and their link to pieces of magic art, click here.
These artists are mentioned as of now:
Ian Baker, Zakary Belamy, Derren Brown, Thomas Cameron, Chan Canasta, Dean Alan Carnegie, Daryl, Annabel de Vetten, Fabrini, Henry Hay, Alan Howard, Volker Huber, Glenn Kaino, Ken Knowlton, Pierre Mayer, Pablo Morante, Bob Read, Chuck Romano, Juan Luis Rubiales, Hanjo Schnug, Joan Vizcarra, Kurt Volkmann, Wittus Witt, Kreg Yingst.
And these magicians are featured – among others – within the artworks:
Olof Becher-Marvelli, Blackstone, Derren Brown, Eugene Burger, Cardini, Tommy Cooper, Roberto Giobbi, Harry Houdini, Ricky Jay, Jeff McBride, Channing Pollock, Juan Tamariz, Dai Vernon, Roy Walton.
Over the weekend I have added numerous links and information in the ART section of this blog. So if you are interested in any of the following names and their link to pieces of magic art, click here:
Zakary Belamy, Derren Brown, Eugene Burger, Chan Canasta, Steve Cohen, Daryl, Fabrini, Roberto Giobbi, Henry Hay, Harry Houdini, Volker Huber, Ken Knowlton, Channing Pollock, Bob Read, Chuck Romano, Annabel de Vetten, Kurt Volkmann, Wittus Witt, Kreg Yingst.
Bereits länger angekündigt, scheint nun die Veröffentlichung unmittelbar bevorzustehen: The Greatest German Living nennt Ricky Jay sein Werk über Matthias Buchinger (1674-1739), den “kleinen großartigen Mann aus Nürnberg”, der u.a. als ein Meister des Becherspiels galt, obwohl er keine richtigen Hände besaß.
Das Taschenbuch soll laut Amazon am 9. September 2015 erscheinen und bei einem Umfang von 160 Seiten knapp 34 Euro kosten. Ricky Jay hat Buchinger bereits in seinem Buch Sauschlau und Feuerfest von 1988 ein Kapitel gewidmet.
Addendum: Fans von Ricky Jay finden hier ein dreidimensionales Portrait von ihm, das der Künstler Glenn Kaino aus Spielkarten gestaltet hat.
I have to confess a lot of things, related to magic and otherwise. But when it comes to card magic, I am prepared to admit that to me…
1) illustrations are much clearer and thus much more helpful in understanding and learning a move than photographs and
2) it’s fun to compare the personal style and techniques of magic’s great illustrators.
By the way, a fine book which celebrates the art and artists in and around magic is Chuck Romano‘s The Art of Deception from 1997. This tome inspired me to go-a-hunting for a dozen exemplified card illustrations and challenge you to find out from which well-known books and authors on card magic they originated.
So here is the first one from the not too distant past. Take a guess or rush to the better part of your magic book shelf.
(To be continued)
ZZZAUBER 