The McMaster Museum of Art opened a new exhibition, Breaking Black, on Nov. 15 in their main floor gallery. Breaking Black is less abstract than the gallery’s previous exhibit, Conspiracies of Illusion.

The curator, Nicole Collins, professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design, chose alchemy as the theme of her show, with the idea that from something dark and dead, such as charcoal, a new thing of value can be created, such as gold. Charcoal is a recurring medium; it is used in nearly every piece as pigment to represent the death of what was once alive.

This exhibition also treats viewers to some big names in the art world. It includes works from Louis Comtois and David Nash, as well as one surprising piece from an ancient Lucanian school.

Running along with Breaking Black at the museum is Mapping Iroquoia: Cold City Frieze, an interactive piece on stereotypical representations of First Nations people through history.

Maryssa Barras,

Silhouette Intern