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Taking in mind the story of St. Peter the Apostle, along with adding my own personal and sentimental symbols, this acrylic piece represents an occasional disruption within one’s religion. The upside-down cross, for example, does not symbolize maliciousness - as the misconception proceeds. Rather, the tilted cross symbolizes a feeling of being unworthy … to feel as though one’s abilities, faith, and decisions can never amount to the Almighty. St. Peter the Apostle, despite being called the “rock” of Christianity, wished to be crucified upside down, as even he believed he did not deserve a similar death to Jesus.
Nevertheless, my piece is not to be taken as a negative viewing of religion. In fact, it is the opposite. While painting, I found myself finding the dark, melancholic beauty in faith; painting the dark corners of society is what fascinates me, what pushes me to think creatively. By taking this well-known story of St. Peter and making it my own, I felt I was able to captivate an emotional exchange without exact biblical accuracy. Titling it “Whistle in the Dark” provokes the idea of pretending to be something you are not, in this case, pretending to be unafraid.