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So I know a guy who does not like magic or magicians but knows a few origami pieces. If an origami piece is made and someone doesn't know how that origami piece was made does that make it magic?

Hmm!! Can the pieces he make do magic????

jhmagic1 wrote:So I know a guy who does not like magic or magicians but knows a few origami pieces. If an origami piece is made and someone doesn't know how that origami piece was made does that make it magic?

If in doing so you can show that you have violated the chain of cause/ effect, then yes. Otherwise how is origami an illusion of the impossible?

I'd say no.
If magic is the demonstration of the impossible then giving someone and end product with out telling them how it was done, it's a demonstration of knowledge or expertise, but not magic. If magic is defined for this as an entertaining performance which involves a demonstrationof the impossible, it's even less so.
I do not know how solar panels are made but their existence does not seemingly violate my knowledge of physics/reality.
Same with origami.

Robert Harbin, top class magician and inventor of the Zig Zag Lady illusion, was also very adept at Origami and published books of instructions. I realise that doesn't answer the original question but I just thought I'd throw it into the melting pot of discussion!

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harbin

I'd say no.
You fold the paper about a bit and it makes a frog; I know how it's done, just now how to do it.
Like surgery


Although if you can apply to same logic of "it uses sleight of hand" does that stop a card trick being magical?

Lawrence wrote:I'd say no.
Although if you can apply to same logic of "it uses sleight of hand" does that stop a card trick being magical?

Haha, probably.
If a spectator knows 'something' was done, he just doesn't know what it is, like if he sees a suspicious move or something being added to the deck, it will stop being magical for them.

Although if you can apply to same logic of "it uses sleight of hand" does that stop a card trick being magical?

Yes - that's not magic. The audience might be tricked! But they don't really believe it is magic.
Just like when I do a routine and someone says, "Oh that's clever!" They don't believe!

I disagree with people who say that they want people to feel like they've seen an illusion or they've been fooled. I'm a magician. I want people to feel like they've seen magic. Something that completely breaks their logic.
Whit Hayden (I think) had this great saying about putting people on that knife edge between - on one side, This can't happen! and on the other side, But wait, it just did! And it's not easy to step off to either side.

Do magic, not Tricks!

As a side note, I dislike it when magicians actually use the word 'sleight of hand' in their routines - ridiculous! That's the method! You wouldn't say, I'll just show you some magic with IT.

With all that said, yes sometimes all people want to see is sleight of hand and a few jokes etc... depending on the event sometimes magic takes on a simpler form... but we should always have the ability to provide an experience of magic if required.

As for the original question. Origami is or at least can be magical - and that's good and interesting in itself but it doesn't make it magic.

When talking about a complete show of magic - I think a great show has elements of what I wrote about above, but also elements of things that might not necessarily be magic but are interesting, magical, comical and have other characteristics that create a rounded show. It allows people to relax a bit against the onslaught of their senses! Oh dear!

Mandrake wrote:Robert Harbin, top class magician and inventor of the Zig Zag Lady illusion, was also very adept at Origami and published books of instructions. I realise that doesn't answer the original question but I just thought I'd throw it into the melting pot of discussion!

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harbin" target="_blank

He also did a TV show in the UK back in the late 60's. I can remember it as a small child, being off school, ill, and it being on in the afternoons.

I don't think it is magic, but it can be magical. And there are a number of strong routines involving orgiami creations. If you are interested in that then some of the Robert Neale books are worth a look...

corindaman wrote:He also did a TV show in the UK back in the late 60's. I can remember it as a small child, being off school, ill, and it being on in the afternoons.

I remember that - it was something like Bag of Tricks or Box of tricks and also featured a very young Jim Dale, he of Carry On film fame.

Jing wrote:The audience might be tricked! But they don't really believe it is magic.

I would seriously worry about the sanity of any spectator who thought what we do is real magic!

I've met some born again christians who think I am the spawn of satan!

See, that's why I like doing kids shows. They do (some at least) think it's real. (c:

fiftytwo wrote:See, that's why I like doing kids shows. They do (some at least) think it's real. (c:

I put an empty milk container in the fridge, closed the door, opened it enough to put my hand in and pulled out a full one. My five year-old thinks I'm a magical God.

Best. Audience. Ever.