The Artist Who Lied by Ren X

“Why do we do magic? Are we just tricking people? Is it really about fooling and lying to them? It must be more. Use this book as a foundation to unlock the reasons why you’re drawn to share your magic moments. Understanding why you do what you do to help you make better choices in your art for the future.”
– Garrett Thomas, consultant to David Blaine

The connection between deception and art dates back to some of the earliest philosophers. How does the consideration of magic, an art form that seemingly relies on deception, change the conversation? The Artist Who Lied is, at its core, a proposal for an aesthetic theory of magic and the general use of deception as a tool in art. What does it mean to lie with art? Is it possible to do such a thing while maintaining a strong moral compass? Ren considers all of these questions and many more in this intimately philosophical title.