Dirty Pictures: Tom of Finland, Masculinity, and Homosexuality

by Micha Ramakers

In this groundbreaking study of the art of Touko Laaksonen (1920-1991), better known as Tom of Finland, Micha Ramakers explores the incredible and defining impact Tom's work has had upon the culture at large. It is work whose erotic and emotional power remains unabated to this day. Lavishly illustrated with drawings and photographs, Dirty Pictures is a lively and entertaining book encompassing the rise of the gay movement, the world of fine art, and the function (and the functioning) of pornography. For the millions of fans of Tom's work throughout the world, as well as readers unfamiliar with his work, this study brings uncommon insight into Tom of Finland's decidedly uncommon work.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, LGBT, Sexuality, Biography, Gay

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Brian Kovesci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scratching the surface of Tom of Finland’s body of work, presenting his work as more complex than a cursory reading of pornography.

[LARRY · Rating 4 out of 5]

As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:

All gay men should know who Tom of Finland is. You're bound to see a picture or two in gay bookstores, bars and galleries. If you're not familiar with Tom, then you need to get out more often!

I found *Dirty Pictures* not just fascinating with these wonderful and eye-catching pictures but educational with Tom of Finland's background and his intentions/purposes behind each pictures.

It's amazing how having a network with friends can lead one to be legendary, if you could call it that. Prior to meeting Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorne, Tom of Finland's works were just considered pornographic. Over time, that gradually changed.

I wished this book contained all of Tom's pictures, along with a background for each of them. However, with what knowledge that I've learned here, I cannot wait to see the other works of Tom's and do my own analyses. That's the fun part.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom of Finland created a beautiful science fiction universe where everybody was gay and was happy being gay. In this way I think it's a terrible crime that he never received a Hugo award, but hindsight is always 20/20. Whatever the case there isn't an artist right now who has made such a profound impact upon my life as much as Tom of Finland, and so whenever I can find any books or writings which explore his life and work it's a must-own. This book has the advantage then of not only being about Tom's work, but also being an incredible analysis and testament to his art.

Ramakers does a service to art scholars as well as queer men, by taking the principle that regardless of whether or not Tom's work is pornography it is worthy of study because of the effect it has had upon the lives of queer men. Ramakers observes almost every facet of Tom's work, whether it's race, the role of the penis, the construction of masculinity, the role (or lack of one) that women play in the art, and the various fashions his men embody to understand how Tom of Finland created a new model of masculinity for queer men to embody and adopt for their own. Ramakers observes that in Tom's universe queer men were no longer limited to the role of the "fairy" or the "queen," and in fact they could be strong, powerful, and happy in their sexuality.

Ramakers book is an academic study and so at times the language can be a bit dense, but this volume is still highly readable to even the most casual reader, and there's plenty of actual illustrations by Tom, some of which I had never seen before. Dirty Pictures is a must read for any fan of Tom's work, and Ramaker's book is a reminder that, even today, Queer men are constantly looking for a satisfying sexual identity.

Tom of Finland created a pornography that satisfied the appetites of many individual men, but he also provided them a feeling of self-worth that, as Ramaker notes, is still being felt today.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my youth club's parents handed me this to read for a course I took last year on LGBTQ+ History. I never got round to reading it until recently, I finished the last page today.

This is a pretty detailed and fascinating look into the art work of Tom of Finland and how this art work help with the LGBTQ+ movement.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An academic book about Tom of Finland? TOTALLY! This was a great read with lots of hottt pictures. Looking at race, class, gender and sexuality in Tom's work and the context it was created in, and how gay culture was shaped by Tom's rich fantasy world that he so vividly captured in his art...he once said that he only knew a drawing was successful if he had to pause in the middle of drawing it because he became too aroused. I loved learning more about Tom's background and the ascent of his work, particularly how it was embedded in the international gay culture that he participated in and helped to create. The book argues that perhaps his work is more powerful when considered as pornography rather than fine art and serves a function in creating visibility and identity within a particular gay male subculture...perhaps some of that is lost when his work is in museums...at the same time the validation is important in making the world more accepting of gay sex...I love thinking about these questions of assimilation versus the power of maintaining a radical existence on the fringes that pushes the mainstream, and this book ably feeds those thoughts.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Partly a biography of Tom of Finland (real name Touko Laaksonen), partly a description of his art, partly an essay about masculinity and where gay men fit into it. He was a fantastic artist, although by his own admission he couldn't draw women to save his life. The few pictures of women I've seen are absolutely terrible. At best, they look like men dressing up as women, or transgenders. It makes me wonder if he even knew any women besides those in his family, and how often he saw them. I mean, at least he could have taken a picture of a woman and copied it, instead of drawing freehand.
At any rate, I loved this book and I'm not gonna lie, I bought it for the pictures and not the articles :)

[Lynsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great if you just want Tom of Finland pictures, ok if you want to actually read it.

[Everythinggay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious exploration of gayness in our prized modern institutions