Random New Yorker: Matthew Michael Cooper, "Sleight of the Mind Artist"

Random New Yorker: Matthew Michael Cooper, “Sleight of the Mind Artist”

by Andrew Piccone

Tell me about your job.

My job consists mainly of magic but I’ve gone into a different area of psychological tricks of the mind. I like to call myself a ‘sleight of the mind artist.’ It encompasses traditional slight of hand, modern mind reading and con artistry. I’ve got a gig at a hotel bar right now, and I present weird and strange tricks to people while they’re drinking it up.

How did you get into it?

I did it when I was younger like any child would, but the interest bloomed in high school. My mother was working in the Folies Bergere as a showgirl, my father was a stagehand, so I was already sort of into the Vegas lifestyle and showmanship. They pushed me into doing magic more, which was sort of surprising. But I got into and it bloomed quickly and flourished and people responded extremely well and I realized I could probably make money doing this.

So is this your full time gig?

I was in Las Vegas, I just moved out here in January. I’m still getting by on it, I had to get all new contacts and start all over but it’s far worth not living in Vegas. So right now I am doing it for a living, just barely.

What’s your favorite place or thing in New York?

I don’t have a favorite place, but my favorite thing is the overwhelming amount of character. Coming from Vegas you have these Hollywood and grandiose ideas of Las Vegas but it’s not really like that. You don’t live in the city, you live in the suburbs, pretty much everyone does, its very sort of cut and dry, and can be quite annoying at times, but here you can walk the streets, get on a subway, get off and be somewhere new and be surprised every single day. I just love the charm and the character and the aesthetic of the whole thing.

What’s your opinion of the Ground Zero Mosque?

I’m certainly against it, not because I don’t subscribe to any religion, but because I think the best response is to rebuild the towers in their entirety. We have to continue with the whole business as usual thing. It’s the only way we can demonstrate our strength as a nation.

What’s your least favorite part about your job?

The association magic has to glitter, bad music, stuffing women into boxes, all the clichés I guess. My hope is to aid in the advancement of the art form by presenting something more unique, more intriguing. Something that gets under your skin.

Andrew Piccone is a photographer in New York City.