Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini
This article places in conversation Clement Greenberg (1909–1994) and Harry Houdini (1874–1926) in their engagement with a search for a truth and draws subtle parallels in their biographies. Greenberg searched for an essence in the material realm of paint and Houdini searched the paranormal through...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Intellect
2024
|
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1824446518063529984 |
|---|---|
| author | David, Karen |
| author_facet | David, Karen |
| author_sort | David, Karen |
| collection | LMU |
| description | This article places in conversation Clement Greenberg (1909–1994) and Harry Houdini (1874–1926) in their engagement with a search for a truth and draws subtle parallels in their biographies. Greenberg searched for an essence in the material realm of paint and Houdini searched the paranormal through mediumistic séances, both looking to reduce or debunk ideas of illusion in their fields, or more specifically, deception. This ‘conversation’ emerges from a close reading of the illusionary properties of the works of Carlo Crivelli (1430–1995) and sets out to weave connections between approaches to illusion in painting, writing and magic via the notion of Carrie Lambert-Beatty’s parafiction (2009) where artworks that are presented as fact interact with the world. This article aims to raise questions and comparisons between illusions found in pictorial language, magical apparatus and parafictions, illustrating the fine line between illusion and material, and concealment and revelation. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T01:16:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:9949 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T01:16:25Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Intellect |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:99492024-12-16T10:41:58Z https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/9949/ Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini David, Karen 750 Painting & paintings This article places in conversation Clement Greenberg (1909–1994) and Harry Houdini (1874–1926) in their engagement with a search for a truth and draws subtle parallels in their biographies. Greenberg searched for an essence in the material realm of paint and Houdini searched the paranormal through mediumistic séances, both looking to reduce or debunk ideas of illusion in their fields, or more specifically, deception. This ‘conversation’ emerges from a close reading of the illusionary properties of the works of Carlo Crivelli (1430–1995) and sets out to weave connections between approaches to illusion in painting, writing and magic via the notion of Carrie Lambert-Beatty’s parafiction (2009) where artworks that are presented as fact interact with the world. This article aims to raise questions and comparisons between illusions found in pictorial language, magical apparatus and parafictions, illustrating the fine line between illusion and material, and concealment and revelation. Intellect 2024-10-01 Article PeerReviewed David, Karen (2024) Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini. Journal of Contemporary Painting, 10 (1). pp. 57-77. ISSN 2052-6709 https://doi.org/10.1386/jcp_00065_1 10.1386/jcp_00065_1 10.1386/jcp_00065_1 |
| spellingShingle | 750 Painting & paintings David, Karen Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title | Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title_full | Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title_fullStr | Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title_short | Fraudulent mediums and miracle-mongers: illusion, concealment and revelation in the works of Crivelli, Greenberg and Houdini |
| title_sort | fraudulent mediums and miracle mongers illusion concealment and revelation in the works of crivelli greenberg and houdini |
| topic | 750 Painting & paintings |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidkaren fraudulentmediumsandmiraclemongersillusionconcealmentandrevelationintheworksofcrivelligreenbergandhoudini |