Aesthetics play an important role in our performance. Your style is an extension of your persona and helps create the magical atmosphere. In Tarbell Vol. 2, Dr. Tarbell says that clothing is the silent salesman. This is not to say we should be rushing off to buy playing card ties and growing goatees. Rather, for the social performer, be mindful of the image you are projecting and to consider the meta illusion we are creating.
Even if your persona is “just you,” your style will impact how your audience perceives you. Art of Astonishment Vol. 2 states that you should be aware of the emotional content of the images you use when “unleashing the moment”. If we are to consider the emotional content of images in our performances that should extend to how we are presenting ourselves. Jamy Ian Swiss mentions an anecdote in Preserving Mystery about Michael Skinner deciding to wear silver jewelry as opposed to gold because silver was more inviting whereas gold was more cold and off putting. Skinner was putting thought into how his style impacted his performance and how his appearance impacted the audience.
I have seen many performers claim to be mind readers while looking like they are auditioning for “Death of a Salesman.” This sanitized corporate aesthetic shatters the illusion before a single word is spoken. There are many mentalists who are able to pull off the sleek corporate style because it fits within the overall super object of their act. But many mentalists don’t seem to consider the effect their style has on the magical atmosphere they are trying to create.
I can buy the Svengali character of Derren Brown. The facial hair, the sharp dress, the feline movement all come together to create a subtle air of control. I can buy into Peter Turner’s empath approach, his style and his personality lend themselves to the tough guy with a heart of gold. The tattoos and the stories of an impoverished upbringing give a sort of underdog feel to his persona, and we love to root for the underdog, it’s endearing.
What I can’t buy into is someone in their 20s with a clip-on tie claiming they have unlocked the secrets of subliminal messaging or a performer claiming to have knowledge of deep occult rituals while dressed for their shift at Walmart.
There are a plethora of mentalists who are able to look sufficiently corporate and still convey the believability. Banachek has a style that wouldn’t look out of place in a boardroom meeting but with his age and stage presence he is able to command authority, to make the demonstrations feel like they belong in a lecture hall with respected academia.
A piece of advice from Nelms’ Magic and Showmanship is to lessen the scope of your effects. Nelms uses the example of a clairvoyance routine and suggests weakening the claim until it matches the proof. Instead of presenting your casual mentalism routine as a genuine feat of psychic prowess, think about how you are presenting yourself to the audience. If you are wearing your work uniform perhaps it is a skill gained from your grueling customer service job. If you dress like an extra from The Lost Boys, perhaps you are able to more successfully convey a more esoteric theme.
Dr. Tarbell says that the artist should always be appropriately dressed. This goes beyond not wearing a tuxedo to lunch or sandals to a wedding. Your aesthetics are an extension of your persona. They are part of the visual shortcuts people use to make snap judgments. Your style has an impact on how you present yourself to your audience. If we neglect our aesthetics we are neglecting part of creating the magical atmosphere. Consider your personal style and what kind of information you are giving your audience.
Al Goshman once said that the one ahead principle is the only damn principle in magic. Being cognizant of our appearance is applying the one ahead principle before our performance has even begun, the only damn principle in magic.