Author(s): Christos Linou Sr. (Photographer, Illustrator, Created by, Cover Design by, Original editor, Concept by, Research by, Original Author, General Editor, Editor)

Art

The title of the book Polic Poltic is derived from the Greek work 'Polis' meaning city, which is the place of the people and the surfaces of the cities are templates for political conversations for artist and activists. This book explores the reasons behind political street art and why it's a platform for social dialogue and protest. It looks at when graffiti and street art came into effect to its current impact. The images were taken 2010 to 2020 and I imagine they have changed since I took the photographs, and it questions is it necessary to document street art before it changes? And does the work have an impact that resonates as high art? And can be the street art be considered a neo-folk-urban phenomenology, where the small voice aims to amplify themselves in a world of complicated corruptions?I live in Melbourne and I travel internationally as a performance artist and choreographer and have the opportunity to search the underbelly of the cities, which has led me to compile a decade of street art by known and unknown artists. I look out for revolutionary images on walls, posts, fences, derelict buildings, abandoned homes, lane-ways, creeks, tunnels, bridges, monuments, trains and urban spaces where people voice a political opinion through their creative aesthetic.The upside to this law breaking activity now has capitalist appeal and the book examines its aesthetics and commodification, and discusses how some street artists make income from their efforts. Which begs the question; Is street art now an accepted, where activist can mark their place of being by amplifying their personal opinion, then possibly earn a living from it?