Germ Goes Fishing is a whimsical yet incisive piece from Parris Jaru’s Chronicles of Bad Germ series, a body of work conceived in 2019 as a critique of social and artistic hierarchies. Jaru observed how the art world, rather than focusing on the work itself, revolved around networking, influence, and status, an idea that took shape through his central character, “Bad Germ.” In this series, Jaru playfully deconstructs power dynamics, ambition, and fleeting success, presenting them through an evolving visual lexicon of absurd creatures, bold linework, and fragmented dialogue.
...more
Germ Goes Fishing is a whimsical yet incisive piece from Parris Jaru’s Chronicles of Bad Germ series, a body of work conceived in 2019 as a critique of social and artistic hierarchies. Jaru observed how the art world, rather than focusing on the work itself, revolved around networking, influence, and status, an idea that took shape through his central character, “Bad Germ.” In this series, Jaru playfully deconstructs power dynamics, ambition, and fleeting success, presenting them through an evolving visual lexicon of absurd creatures, bold linework, and fragmented dialogue.
In Germ Goes Fishing, we see a world where social games and survival strategies manifest through exaggerated figures and cryptic exchanges. The composition is filled with movement—fish swim at the bottom, creatures reach for objects, and speech bubbles punctuate the scene with enigmatic phrases like “Wet and Wild” and “Build to Hold.” A looming figure with an extended arm appears to be casting bait, symbolizing both the act of luring and the concept of negotiation or persuasion. The scene feels like an allegory for the pursuit of opportunity, where one must bait, wait, and maneuver within a shifting landscape.
Jaru’s gestural black-and-white execution draws from Jean Dubuffet’s Art Brut, embracing a raw, intuitive approach that emphasizes gesture over precision. His combination of text and imagery recalls Basquiat’s layered visual storytelling, but with a more defined narrative structure akin to early underground comics. The chaotic yet structured arrangement also nods to Philip Guston’s late-period grotesque figures, where humor and critique exist in tandem.
The title Germ Goes Fishing serves as a metaphor for the constant game of positioning within the art world and beyond—who is catching, who is caught, and what the real prize is remains open-ended. Jaru masterfully balances playfulness and critique, inviting viewers to decode the hidden power struggles embedded within his surreal world.
