eight he was given a Mickey Mouse Magic Box and proceeded to learn and perform magic for the family . One of his friend ’ s fathers was a magician and at age sixteen Sébastien witnessed Hubert Tivoyon aka Talam perform his close-up magic set .
“ Beyond what he was doing ( a very solid , well-performed classical repertoire ) it was the reactions of the guests that surprised me the most . He was able to trigger such amazement , astonishment , joy and fear through the impossibility of his magic and that was what fascinated and moved me . I immediately purchased books from MAGIX in Strasbourg to learn more about this new discipline .”
Sébastien began his formal education , in artistic studies , in 1997 at the École des Beaux-Arts ( School of Fine Arts ) in Dijon and during that time he contacted Pierre Guedin to mentor and provide close-up classes for two years . “ He was my teacher , my spiritual father , and he guided me in the structured learning of things and their classification .”
As Sébastien improved and grew , Doctor Guedin suggested another specialized training in magic , namely magical weekends organized by the CIPI ( Centre International de la Prestidigitation et de I ’ Illusion ). During his first visit he experienced an unforgettable moment , a total immersion class with Dominique Duvivier and fifteen subsequent meetings resulted . By 1999 he was performing as an amateur , tablehopping and close-up magic , for private parties and corporate events , a skill-set he continues to use to this day .
He admires Michael Weber , Greg Wilson , Dan Harlan and Jay Sankey for their direct , impromptu , “ no flourishes ” close-up work . He adores theatrical scripted , visual magic such as the work by Jérôme Helfenstein and Arthur Trace . He actively follows magie nouvelle and sites La Compagnie 14:20 , which was Raphaël Navarro and Clément Debailleul ’ s inspiration in 2002 , showcasing fascinating , hypnotic images without a magician . He ’ s influenced by the creative madness of Yann Frisch and the uncompromising freedom of Thierry Collet ’ s performances . Victor Voitko ’ s ability to perform classic magic to modern music such as Seal ’ s Crazy is noted .
Lastly , Sébastien credits the magical golden age of the late nineteenth century , for influence and inspiration , naming among his favorites , “ Alexander Herrmann , Howard Thurston , Ernest Thorn , Servais Le Roy , David Devant and Lafayette .”
Sebastien has participated in international seminars as speaker and organizer often combining his two passions cinema and magic in themes such as Deceitful Arts , Digital Magic and Special Effects in Magic and Cinema .
Sébastien ’ s interests , influences and inspirations are complex , his art studies , his own plastic art creations , his admiration for Op art and Baroque painters , his love of cinema and his passion for magic ; all these elements merge into his work .
ArteFake has a broad spectrum of magic representation which includes notable women in magic . When I asked Sébastien about his articles he responded enthusiastically ; “ I like to listen to people ; to learn where they come from ; what inspires them and what their influences are . Since the conception of ArteFake it seemed logical to provide a platform to magicians from all over the world , to be in sync with contemporary creation , but also to reflect on individual careers , motivation
SPECIAL EDITION | 2021 47