In his essay “Magic, Science and Religion”, Bronisław Malinowski contends that every person, no matter how primitive, uses both magic and science. To make this distinction he breaks up this category into the “sacred” and the “profane” or “magic/religion” and science. He theorizes that feelings of reverence and awe rely on observation of nature and a dependence on its regularity.

He goes on to conclude that observation and reasoning about nature is a type of science. Magic is the condition within which early civilization is formed and the inherent need to control the forces of nature is common to almost all societies across the world. The power that the druid or the shaman wields over nature, controlling and manipulating its manifestations, is fairly well documented in the myths and accounts available to us. Art is born as an intrinsic reaction to this society. As art develops through the ages, we are faced with the peculiar situation of art as an affect of technology, today. This essay will try to trace a relationship between magic and technology. I would also like to argue that art has come a full circle since its birth.

The earliest forms of art are born in magic, and responds to it at the same time. At particular points, it is difficult to distinguish between art and magic, as they seem to overlap. As an example of art born in magic, one might consider megalithic art in Ireland, which seems to be entoptically derived from altered states of consciousness (Dronfield, 1993).

In A General Theory of Magic, Marcel Mauss classifies magic as a social phenomenon, akin to religion and science, but yet a distinct category. In practice, magic bears a strong resemblance to religion. Both use similar types of rites, materials, social roles and relationships to accomplish aims and engender belief. They both operate on similar principles, in particular those of consecration and sanctity of objects and places, interaction with supernatural powers mediated by an expert, employment of symbolism, sacrifice, purification and representation in rites, and the importance of tradition and continuation of knowledge. Magic and religion also share a collective character and totality of belief. The rules and powers of each are determined by the community’s ideals and beliefs and so may slowly evolve. Additionally neither supports partial belief. Belief in one aspect of the phenomena necessitates belief in the whole, and each incorporates structural loopholes to accommodate contradictions. The distinction Mauss draws between religion and magic is both of sentiment and practice. He portrays magic as an element of pre-modern societies and in many respects an antithesis of religion. While these two phenomena do share many ritual forms, Mauss concludes that, “a magical rite is any rite that does not play a part in organized cults. It is private, secret, mysterious and approaches the limit of prohibited rite.” In practice, magic differs from religion in desired outcome. Religion seeks to satisfy moral and metaphysical ends, while magic is a functional art, which often seeks to accomplish tangible results. In this respect magic resembles technology and science.

Theory of magic usually divides the phenomenon into two categories – efficacious magic and sympathetic magic. Effective magic has a cause and an effect relationship. The druid’s incantation and gestures cause the enemy to be induced into a state of insanity. The very relationship between the actions of the druid and the effect is the first point to which I’d like to draw attention. The relationship between the druid and the physical world is a direct one; using rituals and magical tools (staves, sickles, cauldrons etc.) the druid is able to influence and manipulate the natural order of things. The actions might not have a logical and apparent connection with the effect (rain dance and its intention to cause rain), but the cause-effect relationship is what is interesting. As we move from a magical society to a religious one, we see a change. In a religious society the ritual and the effect are mediated by the presence of a god — the ritual does not directly affect the natural order. Also, religion, a complex superstructure, attempts to look inwards rather than at the external world. Thus art too, at this time, attempts to look inwards, taking a more self-reflexive quality. Art moves from this point to a more secular society, where it resides within the boundaries of aesthetics and philosophy. However, art born in technology seems to return to that older, more direct connection with the physical world. Tambiah suggests that mankind has a much more personal control over events. Science, according to Tambiah, is “a system of behavior by which man acquires mastery of the environment.” Tambiah states that magic is a strictly ritualistic action that implements forces and objects outside the realm of the gods and the supernatural. These objects and events are said to be intrinsically efficacious, so that the supernatural is unnecessary. To some, including the Greeks, magic was considered a “proto-science.”

A distinction that I would like to refer to is one made by Dr Aniket Jaaware, where he distinguishes between tool, machine and technology. He sees tool as an extension of the hand, the machine as one that performs the task of the tool repetitively and technology as a condition within which we reside. Technology is a condition much like magic (which is both a practice and a sentiment). Technology seems to return us to that older, more direct cause and effect relationship; the action has a direct (and this time, logical) effect. It is perhaps not surprising that art, today, has become an affect of technology. From photography to cinema, there are art forms today that are born in technology. Theatre, music and even the written word are dependent on this condition, within which we live. The Digital Arts seem to immerse us further into our suspension of disbelief. The sense of the sublime is heightened; our connection with the physical, our powers to manipulate it, feels more immediate in the presence of technology. Examples of the Digital Arts in Ireland can be found here and here. Further examples can be found at D.A.T.A 2.0, which is dedicated to both showcasing the work of technologists, musicians, and artists using technology as well as providing a meeting point for the intersection of these disciplines.

Effective magic is the manipulation of the physical world and its natural order. In the first instance, technology is the manipulation of our perception of the physical world and its natural order.

At the end of the 20th century a new art form was produced. Eduardo Kac first coined the phrase ‘Bio-Art’ in 1997 in relation to his artwork ‘Time Capsule’. Bio-Art is an art practice where humans work with live tissues, bacteria, living organisms, and life processes. Bio-art or transgenic art attempts to manipulate the very thing that magic set out to do – the natural order. While most people who practice Bio-Art are categorized as artists in this new media, they can also be seen as scientists, since the actual medium within a work pertains to molecular structures, and so forth. In fact, because of this dual-acceptance, the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard University invites anyone to submit works based on scientific or artistic value. With the advent of Bio-Art, in a sense, art and technology have become synonymous.

To conclude, in the second instance, technology is the condition, which manipulates the very intrinsic notion of nature and returns us to the original moment where art is born.