Polari - An Etymology

This print traces the etymology of the secret gay language Polari , which was used by gay men during the early 20th century at a time when homosexuality was illegal. It was a way for gay men to talk openly without detection and a way to test whether a stranger was gay or not. This print draws on research by leading Polari experts including Professor Paul Baker. It also incorporates the artist’s inferred understanding of Polari’s evolution. His findings may or may not be true but he includes them anyway. This is reflective of the secretive nature of the language. This sense of uncertainty is provoked by the artist’s attempt to force the language’s etymology into a pseudo-scientific framework, revealing the inadequacy of conventional methods of documentation and history when dealing with LGBT history which has been consistently supressed, destroyed and overlooked.