J. Robynn Aviles “Fidelity Graft”

Fidelity Graft, 2022, Oil pastel and charcoal on canvas. 

About the Work:

Fidelity Graft investigates the yearning for partnership and commitment, yet being held back by the fear of instability and the perception that betrayal is inevitable. When you are the product of an unstable marriage, an explosive divorce, and your parent’s language, it is difficult to discern whether your frustration should be blamed on Mexico’s gendered social customs or the people raised by it. Machismo (a hyper-aggressive, hyper-sexual, “boys will be boys” cop-out on masculinity) is inexorably linked with Marianismo (its lesser known counterpart of feminine silence and self-sacrifice). If a husband has been found out for his infidelity, the wife—as expected by Mexican custom—is to forgive and forget; to accept “tradition” and accept the consequence for having ever spoken against it.

If the child does not make the conscious decision to unlearn these customs, then what foundation is there to disprove that they will not eventually become one of their parents:

– the infidel, with a co-dependency on religion and the bottle 

or 

-the one left behind, for knowing too much and staying too long.

If marriage rings are not stable and representative enough of one’s loyalty in marriage, then perhaps grafting precious metals into your skin will be much better. Beginning at the ring finger; engraved with the design of your partner’s fingerprints; and traveling upwards with every anniversary, the fidelity graft becomes a gauntlet showcasing the dedication to your partner. This gauntlet could eventually be seen as armor, a literal take on love shielding you. And if even then that doesn’t work, then I hope the loss of your flesh, when the gauntlet has been torn from your body, was worth it.

About the Artist:

An ex-ballet dancer and scent enthusiast, J. Robynn Aviles is a trans Chicano artist and writer pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts for Writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They hold a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Studio, with a concentration in Drawing & Painting; and minors in Art History and English. When the words do not come out, they draw. And when the lines do not stay, they dance. They aim to break into the narrative design industry to write video games, capturing the agency of gentle masculinity and visceral femininity.