Due to the busy Christmas period, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve updated my blog in the series on my favourite magicians, so I thought I’d squeeze just one more in before we all go home to drink & eat turkey.
John Carney’s awards say a lot about how well respected he is amongst the magic community – he’s won The Magic Castle’s magician of the year award no fewer than seven times. He also managed to squeeze in a couple of wins at FISM (the world championship of magic – yes this really exists) in 1988 and 1991.
I feel fortunate to have seen John Carney perform and lecture live last year at The Magic Circle in London. He has a unique ability to take old classics of magic and turn them into his own, creating masterpieces of performance, all with every day items and objects. Amongst magicians, he’s well known as an expert in sleight of hand, misdirection, and presentation which all combine to make him a delight to watch.
Originally from Iowa, he now resides in Los Angeles. He’s featured on many TV shows in the US, including The Late Show with David Letterman and CBS’ “Magician’s Favourite Magicians”.
I’ve dug out a couple of clips of him performing magic to share. The first is a quick trick with two coins – I’ve seen this live and it’s even more impressive right in front of your eyes. Just two coins, nothing more, and no camera tricks or funny moves.
The second is one of my favourite tricks he performs, with just a table knife and some bits of paper. Sadly the clip’s been dubbed over in Spanish, but I think it’s worth a watch anyway, I guarantee you’ll still appreciate it. If you’ve been following my previous posts, you’ll notice his good friend David Williamson also appears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS3IhLmyDjA
I hope you enjoyed John Carney’s magic as much as I do. I’m off to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Have a great break!
