Black art is an old form of magic that is rarely used today in its original form. The effect black art produces is fantastic, it is as close to trick photography as you can get without a camera!
A magician practising black art will find a stage and dim the lights. While he and his assistants are wearing white, the audience can see them. The performers then command items to appear and move around. Versions of ‘sawing a woman in half’ are performed and you can see the two halves moving round the stage, only to be melted back together, or just vanish. The possibilities are endless, and all leave the audience feeling mystified.
The theory behind black art is that everything in black won’t be seen against a black background. This means at the start of the performance, there can be many items on the stage covered in a black cloth and they won’t be seen. The magician simply removes the cloth and voila, an item has appeared. Disembodied bodies can move around by wearing black trousers, or a black jumper. Assistants dressed completely in black can make objects, including people, fly around the stage.
This form of magic really allows...