Strolling down boul. St.-Laurent towards the McGill Fine Arts Commission (FAC) exhibition, I momentarily regretted never completing that Art History minor. Not being an educated scrutinizer of fine art, how could my perspective add anything to the artistic conversation? But as the bubbling atmosphere of jazz, artists, and gallery-goers swiftly[Read More…]
Art
Exploring the etchings of women’s shame at ‘Bad Girls Only’
Their bodies are cast in stark black ink. Harsh cross-hatching carves out exaggerated forms featuring sagging breasts and bulging stomachs. The slight fingers of one of the women curve around a heart, pulling it to her mouth moments before taking a bite. Another’s hand grasps tightly around the hilt of[Read More…]
Romancing Medievalism in the modern world
Candlelight contours and illuminates the deep reds of opalescent stained glass, the candle’s bearer traversing the vacuous shadows of the castle’s towering walls. Its gothic portals and stone arcades stand overgrown in twirling vinery and moss. Inside hangs a pastoral tapestry of enchanting animals: Unicorns, leopards, and quails. Dress fabric[Read More…]
What we did not like this break
The Arts & Entertainment section has decided to complain. We present an attack on architecture, travel entertainment, and terrible takes on television. The CN Tower – Kellie Elrick, Arts & Entertainment Editor I do not like the CN Tower! Visiting Toronto over reading week, I stood in King’s College Circle,[Read More…]
‘Little Burgundy – Evolving Montreal’ tells the story of a neighbourhood through the lens of Black resilience
When British-Canadian photographer Andrew Jackson first visited Montreal, he set out to find the city’s Black spaces. His search led him to the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy, formerly known as Saint-Antoine, where he encountered a paradox: Why is Little Burgundy considered a Black space when only 11 per cent of[Read More…]
When there are no words
When I was little and my parents were checking out at the grocery aisle, I would wander over to the greeting cards and wait. It was only upon discovering the floral-fronted sympathy cards that I began to realize death was all around us. With a history as banal as its[Read More…]
Reclaiming space: Celebrating Indigenous artistry at McGill 
Art has always offered new ways of seeing, providing glimpses into diverse worldviews and creating futures that we can strive to inhabit. On the evening of Feb. 7, the University Centre Ballroom saw a group of artists, students, and educators interrogating these multiform possibilities, recognizing the potential for art to[Read More…]
Wieland exhibit at the MMFA wears its heart on its sleeve
Joyce Wieland stares with dots of navy for eyes, a dash of white for a nose, and no mouth. She is pale and faceless, yet her portrait seems to pose defiantly. She is challenging us. Heart On—which opened at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) on Feb. 8—commemorates Joyce[Read More…]
Unravelling preconceived notions about contemporary art with ‘Ravel Ravel Interval’
When I find myself pushing open the heavy glass doors of the Montreal Museum of Fine Art’s Contemporary Art Square, I am admittedly apprehensive. I’ve never been drawn to contemporary art pieces, often finding that they lean so esoteric as to feel alienating. My expectation for Anri Sala’s piece, Ravel[Read More…]
‘Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927’ probes imperial myths behind the glitz
In 1870, Montrealers adorned themselves with velvet and tassels and silk, and then made their way to the ball. Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Arthur—the namesake of rue Prince-Arthur—was visiting the city for the year. No expense was spared; there would be a costumed carnival, and it would be on ice.[Read More…]
