Near the beginning of his book, Practical Impossibilities, Rick writes about whether the work in the book is original or not. His move that forms the basis of the book is reminiscent of other works however the depth of exploration and perspective that Rick brings is remarkable. I will discuss it further in another post.
Guessing that he was responding to criticism at the time, he wrote:
In Retrospect:
The origin of this technique has already been discussed fully from my point of view.
There may be some who feel that this smacks of Marlo or the disputed Cornelius/Corin technique or any number of other underground or aboveground concepts.
From a practical standpoint, it differs in technique, ease, flexibility, openness and impact from any move I or any of the inner circle to whom it has been shown have ever seen.
The intent is not to claim credit for myself or to deny credit to anyone else. I simply want to bring to light a unique move and to delve into some of the apparently endless possibilities for its use.
While on the subject of originality, let me live dangerously and paraphrase a comment from some recent correspondence with Stewart James….
…..If I were to create an effect, never even thought of before, utilizing a method never known before—there would still be some question as to its originality because—I DIDN’T INVENT MAGIC”
