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Lafieste the Magician1998 Oil on linen 86.0" x 45.0" Private collection I have read Robertson Davies' "The Deptford Trilogy" novels over and over since 1975. A primary character is the preeminent stage magician and illusionist of his time, and his story has long fascinated me. I began to think that I was practicing a kind of illusion myself, fooling the eye of the viewers of my paintings into seeing form and depth on a flat, two-dimensional surface. In a book on magic posters from the 30's and 40's, I read that the San Francisco Bay Area was home to a major collection of stage magic paraphernalia. I went to our local Magic Shop, introduced myself and my work, and asked if the proprietor might be acquainted with the collector. That's how I was able to view and photograph the items in this work. I named The Magician for my father, whose middle name was Lafieste. The Robert-Houdin book, "The Secrets of Conjuring & Magic" at lower right, is now translated by Magnus Eisengrim (the above-mentioned illusionist) and published by Robertson Davies, in a nod to the trilogy which has so entertained and influenced me over the years. The top card tucked into the table has a self-portrait and my signature on it. |