Things that can’t be explained have always fascinated and captivated people from all over the world. The simple idea of something impossible becoming possible is very exciting, and is why magic is so appealing for many.
The art of illusion in particular has always created excitement, since it brings a large range of challenging moments, yet the illusionist typically ends up finishing everything without a single scratch. So you may ask, what is an illusionist, and are they any different from regular magicians?
Let’s find out!
What is an illusionist?
An illusionist is a type of magician that makes it seem as though the impossible is happening during their performance. However, despite all those challenging situations and moments, the performer ends up pulling off the feat.
They sometimes create the illusion of being in a dire situation, while oftentimes not actually placing themselves in a situation that they know they can’t handle.
What’s important to note about an illusionist is that they usually tend to perform a larger scale magic act. You might see the illusionist locked in a box trying to escape, being cut in half, or maybe even making vehicles or humans disappear.
The grandiose side of this is what really makes it so appealing and why people are so enthralled by it in the first place.
What do illusionists do?
A main focus for illusionists is to entertain people by making them think what they are doing is impossible. They create a vast array of situations that may seem impossible to perform, yet manage to always find a solution and create a happy ending.
That is one of the great things about illusionists, they push the limits of creativity while not leaving any stone unturned. There are various types of acts of illusion, and each one has its fair share of difficulties.
What is the difference between a magician and an illusionist?
What’s important to note is that illusionists are magicians, but the art of illusion itself is a subcategory in the larger field of magic. Outside of the industry, the terms are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably.
The illusionist usually performs on a larger scale than a typical magician. On top of that, illusionists tend to involve the use of assistants and larger props. While a magician can include signs of grandeur in his act, the illusionist more heavily relies on that in order to increase the overall shock value.
Short history of illusionists
People have been performing acts of magic and illusion for a very long time. The ancient Greeks and Persians held rituals that bore similarities to illusions with the purpose of driving enemies away.
However, one of the first books that explained secrets of magic was published in 1584, titled The Discoverie of Witchcraft, written by Reginald Scott. He wrote it as a way to educate and prevent more killings in the name of witchcraft.
This book inspired other writers to talk about magic tricks and how they were performed at that time. Around the 18th century, magic shows were becoming quite common as entertainment and could be found at many fairs.
When it comes to modern magic, one person that ended up helping to make it what it is today is Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin. He had a magic theater in Paris during the 1840s and inspired other magicians from other regions to do the same.
As we move towards the end of the 19th century, there were large magic shows in massive theater venues popping up, and these were becoming larger and larger in size and scope.
Performers like J. N. Maskelyne and Cooke started incorporating more and more illusions into their acts. After them, people like Alexander Herrmann and Harry Houdini managed to revolutionize the field of illusion, and they too helped bring it to where it is today.
Famous illusionists
The names listed above, such as J. N. Maskelyne and Harry Houdini are widely known for being some of the top illusionists in history. Houdini himself invented a variety of illusions, and was particularly focused on escapology, the art of escaping from impossible situations.
Some of the other famous illusionists include:
- Okito
- Doug Henning
- David Copperfield
- David Blaine
- Criss Angel
- Lance Burton
- David Devant
- Tommy Wonder
- Dai Vernon
- Cardini
- Theodore Annemann
- Dorothy Dietrich
Nowadays illusionists not only have house shows, but also film large-scale TV performances with live crowds.
Examples of illusions
There are a wide range of illusions, many of which have been performed in different variations for many years. One of the most common types of illusion is escapology, in which the illusionist enters a dire situation in which they must escape within a certain amount of time.
Other popular illusions include levitating, cutting a person in half, hanging appearances, no-feet illusions, and many others.
The future of illusionists
Illusion has always been an art within the magic community. That’s because it involves a lot of preparation, commitment and a true focus on making the entire situation feel real.
In fact, pretty much every illusion has a lot of moving parts, and many of them can end up being quite expensive. They require props, careful planning, and so on. More often than not all of this is more than worth it for the end result.
What can we expect from the future of illusion though? Unlike other arts that can tend to fade away, we expect this one to continue to flourish. Thanks to technology, illusionists are able to do a large variety of new acts that would have been impossible even 10-20 years ago, and even perform virtual magic shows remotely.
The art of illusion is evolving and continues to do so. New, fresh faces are entering the industry and bringing in their own captivating takes and ideas.
There’s no denying that people will always be captivated by the unknown and the things that they are unable to explain. We will continue to see new types of illusions, many of which will rely on special effects and new technology.
People all over the world will continue to be fascinated by the incredible situations and worlds these illusionists create for us for many years to come!
