Call for Comments about Exposure in Magic Exposing
Magic secrets is often seen as spoiling the sense of wonder that magic creates. Most magic clubs and societies strictly forbid their members from revealing magic secrets to the public. However, the exact meaning of "exposing a magic trick" is often unclear, and professional magicians rarely explore this concept in detail. Brian Rappert and Gustav Kuhn address this issue in their paper, "Towards a Theory of Exposure," published in the Journal of Performance Magic. This article offers a new multidisciplinary perspective on exposure, supported by research with amateur and professional magicians. It treats magic as a social interaction between performer and audience and introduces the concept of 'boundary work' to explore the complexities of revealing magic secrets. The article aims to foster discussion about what constitutes appropriate behaviour in performance magic.The journal invites both academics and magicians to join this discussion. Exposure is one of the most controversial topics in magic, and we hope to enable our community to reflect on our assumptions and goals.
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Rappert, B. & Kuhn, G., (2024) “Toward a Theory of Exposure ”, Journal of Performance Magic 7(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.5920/jpm.1512
The Journal of Performance Magic is accepting written comments and reviews on the article, which will be reviewed for accuracy and published alongside it.