Original 14" x 11", 150 dpi
notes

I see the Christian attitude towards saintliness and martyrdom to be very much an issue of stoicism. The religious attitude is that one should be in the world but not of it. One should be emotionally or spiritually detached, unmoved by "temptation" or "weakness", for the sake of retaining one's purity. Being an atheist, I think only of the experience of this in one's own body and mind, not what afterworldly reward might or might not be coming for such fortitude. Someone tries to become stoic in their attitudes because they are afraid of being hurt, or of being corrupted, but no matter what appearance they present, they are still vulnerable. So I've been told.

The Christian inspiration for this image was the temptation of St. Anthony, painted and repainted throughout the history of western civilization. Anthony was tempted by demons of all sorts as he lived the isolated life of a hermit in the wilderness--a classic Christian example of spiritual confidence and stoicism in the face of bodily temptation and threat of harm. In "Faith in a Better World," there is a frontal nude male figure, torso cocked nicely in contraposto, hands joined in prayer, and a big grin held up in front of his face. The hands are held together by ropes that bind the severed, fragmented limbs together, but also restrain and tug at the body. Hands reach inward to grab at the ropes, and also to hold the paper grin stretched in place. In the background are menacing, barechested figures with leering, patchwork faces.
The central figure is presented as stoic despite the threats, despite being surrounded by figures that base depravity, being bound into faith of a better existence, or faith that he will be unaffected. His nudity reveals his actual vulnerability, how exposed he really is. The hands and ropes that tug at him are also the ones that tenuously hold his fragmented hands and arms together in repose of prayer, and the ones that stretch the artificial grin--the source of angst is also the projector of the false hopes, the fake stiff upper lip. The things in which we put our faith in are often chimeras projected by our fears and angst rather than genuine realities that we can feel honest trusting in.

Of course, there might also be an element of masochism involved with someone who distorts and attacks images of himself. But the personal reading isn't important here--I'm just playing a game. That's what this is all about, hiding and revealing, baring myself and playing with facades. None of this is truly about me.

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