Acta Deceptio: What Kind of Magic is Most Magical?

[Lyle Borders]

There are many different magic effects here at theory11 and in other places. There are magical secrets that you and I will never learn no matter how hard we try. Magic is such a broad art that nobody will ever really master everything. That said, today's question is this - Which branch of magic is most magical? There is the traditional list of the different kinds of magic (Production, Vanish, Transformation, Restoration, Teleportation, Escape, Levitation, Penetration, Prediction) and there are many other ideas that one might argue fit into none of these categories.

We know that a HUGE part of magic revolves around presentation, but that is not the topic. Which category is simply the most magical to a spectator? Is the vanishing of the Statue of Liberty any more magical than the transformation of a red sponge ball into a blue one? Is the Statue of Liberty trick only more impressive because it is bigger than a sponge ball?

Let's hear your thoughts.

L

 

[TheatreHead]

Magic exists in the mind of the spectator. Whatever the spectator finds most magical to them is most magical to them.

Children really have little care that a card signed by a spectator happened to be in a compartment my wallet. However the same children express screams of delight when a colouring in book fills itself with pictures, then colours itself in.

Adults who may be puzzled by the previously aforementioned colouring in book, experience a true moment of magic when the card that they themselves signed happens to be in a compartment in my wallet.

People who brush off tricks done on TV, such as DC's statue of liberty vanish and reappearance, as camera tricks, have a moment of pure astonishment when I unlink a rubber band from another rubber band that they themselves are holding.

People who brush off such tricks as "he just has quick hands" come and shake my hand after I find a card that they've merely thought of, and they find a card that I've merely thought of.

etc.
etc.
etc.

Asking "what kind of magic is most magical", is akin to asking "what kind of music is most musical", "what kind of poetry is most poetic", or "what kind of art is most artistic".

I could go on and on, but I'm late for class.

 

[S.G]

Magic exists in the mind of the spectator. Whatever the spectator finds most magical to them is most magical to them.

Children really have little care that a card signed by a spectator happened to be in a compartment my wallet. However the same children express screams of delight when a colouring in book fills itself with pictures, then colours itself in.

Adults who may be puzzled by the previously aforementioned colouring in book, experience a true moment of magic when the card that they themselves signed happens to be in a compartment in my wallet.

People who brush off tricks done on TV, such as DC's statue of liberty vanish and reappearance, as camera tricks, have a moment of pure astonishment when I unlink a rubber band from another rubber band that they themselves are holding.

People who brush off such tricks as "he just has quick hands" come and shake my hand after I find a card that they've merely thought of, and they find a card that I've merely thought of.

etc.
etc.
etc.

Asking "what kind of magic is most magical", is akin to asking "what kind of music is most musical", "what kind of poetry is most poetic", or "what kind of art is most artistic".

I could go on and on, but I'm late for class.

Possibly the greatest post I have ever seen on this site.

Thank you for that TheatreHead.

 

[RickEverhart]

Nice post Theatre Head. I couldn't have said it better. The best magic for one spectator might have been horrible for another who was standing and watching the same effect at the same time.

I think the important thing is that "Emotional Hook".

As a spectator I ask myself....Who is this person / character? What are they doing? and Why should I care to watch?

Sometimes it is in the presentation though Lyle because I have seen seen a mediocre magician take a classic effect and butcher it to pieces in front of an audience and then I have seen a professional destroy and amaze an audience with the exact same effect.

As far as what I enjoy watching the most is a vanish and then a reappearance. It could be a coin or a person. My eyes and brain enjoy seeing it go and come back under extreme conditions.

 

[towcheeze]

Gosh, TheatreHead summed it up so well, I'd be surprised if there are anymore posts on this thread.