THE ART OF DECEPTION chronicles the long and colorful relationship between conjuring and art. For the first time, the history of artist and the magic art they have created are profiled in detail.

The magician and artist are similar in many ways. As is true of painting or drawing, magic is a visual form of expression. Seizing an inanimate substance such as paint or ink, and using a brush or pen as a magic wand, artists create worlds of fantasy on canvas and paper. magicians and artists alike strive to evoke wonder in the hearts and minds of their audience...

In this remarkable book, award-winning author Chuck Romano, explores the rich tapestry of magic art and the men and women who have created it. Early examples of magic art from Bosch and Bruegel, to Daumier and Cham, are discussed. A detailed look at the lithographic process, the companies that produced magic lithos and the performers immortalized by them are featured. Romano also highlights contemporary collectors of conjuring and their preservation of magic art for generations to come.

This revised and updated second edition also looks at other subjects, such as major artists of the past and present, illustrators of magic catalogs and magazines, conjuring's connection to comic books, artists who magic art is primarily fine art (painting or sculpture), and much more are included in this copiously illustrated volume.

Praise for Chuck Romano's THE ART OF DECEPTION...

"This book is a class act. Get yours immediately or hate yourself forever." - Michael Close, MAGIC Magazine Review

"Reading this book was a thrilling and entertaining experience." -Jamy Ian Swiss, GENII Magazine Review

"The Art of Deception is a gem of a book! Suffice to say that this book is one-of-a-kind and Chuck Romano has done it right." - David Goodsell, M-U-M Magazine Review

Pages 424 - Hardbound w/ Dust Jacket, Photo-Illustrated