With all due respect, I think you have beat that horse to death with the same questions that have been answered on numerous occasions. We all experience some form of emotion when creating something. Most of us have passion behind what we do, it is therefore obvious to us that Cardistry is art. Not all forms of art are concentrated on evoking YOUR emotions (although again, I provided many examples of how Cardistry can be effectively utilized to evoke audience emotion)
You keep referencing to the same form of Cardistry, no music, no lights, bare bones card manipulation. That should NOT be the premise of your judgement. If you see someone dance in silence in a completely empty auditorium, would that truly help your decision? What about asking to watch every brush stroke of a painter prior to the completion of the painting? This bare bones reference is difficult to evoke AUDIENCE emotion but as far as the artist is concerned, they put their heart and soul into performing and creating! (Which in and of itself, is art)
All forms of art require additional elements to make them more entertaining, whether its adding lights and a frame to a painting or adding music to a dance. If you want to evoke audience emotion, it will take a lot more than simply dancing with no music, a backflip, or "card shuffling" on a jet black background.
Although I don't consider myself a performance guru, the majority of people whom I performed for consider Cardistry an art. However, that assessment took a hell of a lot more than showing off my l33t sybil skillz.
Many things can be considered art, the human element is what defines the passion, dedication, creativity, emotions, etc. Ultimately, whether one considers Cardistry an art is relative and opinion based.
-Andrei Jikh
