Harrison Holland, Close-Up Magic Magician from Atlanta, GA

My name is Harrison, and I perform close-up magic. As a performance art magic is unique, because the audience is necessary to create the resulting effect. This means in order for me to enjoy the art form I have to perform for others. For this reason, I am grateful for the opportunity to share it with people. I can work in small and large groups alike, but my best work is done in settings where I have an opportunity to interact with my audience. I have been studying and performing magic for about 20 years. What began as a hobby became a side-hustle, which in turn became my full-time career. I specialize in card mechanics (a slang term to describe someone who can work a deck of cards inside and out). This means I am capable of performing gambling demonstrations (how people cheat at cards) in addition to the classic/traditional card magic. While I do occasionally perform other styles of magic (levitating small objects, metal bending, and such) my best work is done with a deck of cards in hand. Magic is about experiencing something impossible. When done correctly it's like a trap door opens, and the mind drops into free fall because the rules we use to define our reality just went out the window. As an art form it enables us to explore the most serious philosophical topics (existence and reality) in the most silly way. An a source of entertainment it allows us to experience an impossible reality in a safe place.