Tom of Finland: Retrospective III

Tom of Finland Retrospective #3

by Tom of Finland (illustrator), Volker Morlock (editor), Bruce Weber (introduction)

Tom of Finland is known the world over for his highly erotic illustrations of horny leatherman, cops, sailors, mechanics and labourers.

This is the third retrospective of his work, including 188 previously unpublished pieces of work, descriptions of the original work, an index, chronology and list of past exhibitions.

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Touko Laaksonen (8 May 1920 – 7 November 1991), best known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, is often said to be the most famous Finnish artist in the world. His highly stylized homoerotic drawings had a profound influence on late twentieth century gay culture, as well as fashion and pop culture in general. He has been called the "most influential creator of gay pornographic images" by cultural historian Joseph W. Slade.

Over the course of four decades he produced some 3500 illustrations, mostly featuring men with exaggerated primary and secondary sex traits, with tight or partially removed clothing. Despite having created the self-assured and muscular archetype of the homosexual in his imagery, his most important messages were tolerance and that sex is something to be celebrated.

Tom of Finland's artwork is part of permanent collections of leading cultural institutions that include The Museum of Modern Art (New York), The Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles), Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (Helsinki), The Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.