STOCKHOLM.

Untitled (1 of 6 from ”Men of the Forest” series), 1957, © Tom of Finland Foundation

I slutet av juni kommer en stor del av den Tom of Finland-utställning som förra året visades i Åbo,  till Kulturhuset i Stockholm. Med ett stort

bidrag från olika finska institutioner, ett enormt engagemang från Gary Everett som curator från Homotopia i Liverpool har till slut en utställning med ett bra urval av Tom of Finlands verk kunnat sys ihop på Kulturhuset i Stockholm.
En stor del av de verk som visades under “Tom kommer hem”-utställningen i Åbo förra året kommer att finnas med i Stockholm och det hela blir till en manifestation av det starka band som fanns mellan Touko Laaksonen och Sverige.

Ett band som fanns på det personliga planet men som också kom till uttryck genom de många fina verk som konstnären skapade direkt för SLM-Stockholm.
Det var också här i Sverige, liksom i Danmark, som hans bilder och inte minst seriealbum fick en kommersiell spridning. Efter att ha levererat bilder till amerikanska male physic-tidningar, tog Axel och Eigil Axgils i Danmark och Revolt Press i Åseda, som drevs av Michael Holm och Geurt Staal, tag i utgivningen av Toms arbeten.

Tom poserar i sin nya motorcykeljacka från California Highway Patrol som han just hade fått från sina kompisar där i Los Angeles. Photo by Philip Stuart

När Tom of Finland Foundation, med eldsjälen Durk Dehner på 80-talet började samla in Touko Laaksonens arbeten kom en stor del av samlingen att bestå av just gåvor från Revolt Press.
Flera av dessa hittar nu tillbaks till Sverige för att visas på Homotopias och ToF Foundations utställning.
samband med Stockholm Pride i slutet av juli och början av augusti planeras ett antal seminarier kring Tom of Finlands verksamhet på Kulturhuset som även i år skrudas om till ett Pride House.

In late June, a large part of the Tom of Finland exhibition that was shown last year in Turku, comes to Kulturhuset in Stockholm. Much of the work that was shown during the “Tom comes home” exhibition in Turku last year will be featured in Stockholm and you will see a manifestation of the strong ties that existed between Touko Laaksonen and Sweden.

Tom of Finland kommer till Sverige

Jon Voss

27.6.-20.8.

Rough sketch 0981 n.1981, pencil on paper, 14,6cm x 21cm, © 1981 Tom of Finland Foundation, USA

Kansainvälisestikin tunnetun suomalaisen kuvataiteilijan Tom of Finlandin alias Touko Laaksosen (1920–1991) näyttely tulee Tukholmaan.

Homotopia-organisaatio (Liverpool, UK) tuo Tukholmaan kattavan kokoelman Tom of Finlandin töitä aina varhaisista nuoruusvuosien luonnoksista myöhempiin töihin. Näyttelyn työt kootaan Los Angelesissa toimivan Tom of Finland -säätiön kokoelmista.

Tom of Finlandin legendaarisen maineen saaneet homoeroottiset työt nousivat eräänlaisiksi maskuliinisten homomiesten ikonimaisiksi stereotyypeiksi ympäri maailman.

27.6.2012 0:00 – 20.8.2012 0:00

Kulturhuset, Tukholma
Kulturhuset Stockholm 

The internationally known Finnish artist Tom of Finland (aka Touko Laaksonen, 1920-1991) has an exhibition coming to Stockholm.

Homotopia organization in Liverpool brings a comprehensive collection of Tom of Finland’s work from Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles.

EMBASSY OF FINLAND, Stockholm

SUOMEN SUURLÄHETYSTÖ, Tukholma

Tom of Finland tours to Stockholm to continue its hugely successful international program in Sweden. 

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (1 of 6 from "Men of the Forest" series), 1957, Graphite on paper, 13” x 9.5”, Bob Mizer/AMG Collection Tom of Finland Foundation Permanent Collection #57.03, © 1957-2012 Tom of Finland Foundation

 The year-long exhibition attracted a record audience of 90,000 in Turku, Finland and is now touring to the prestigious Kulturhuset Stockholm
in June 2012 for 3 months.

Cay Sevón, CEO of Turku 2011 Foundation said, “Tom of Finland Retrospective was one of the most valuable parts of the artistic programme of the European Capital of Culture year. The exhibition attracted significant national and international interest. We are all very thrilled it will continue”.

The exhibition was a key part of Turku European Capital of Culture 2011
and is presented by Turku 2011 Foundation; Homotopia, Liverpool;
and Tom of Finland Foundation.

KULTURHUSET

Tom of Finland will not be leaving Turku entirely, even though the Capital of Culture year’s successful Tom of Finland Retrospective exhibition is closing there on December 18, 2011. The Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art (WAM) and the Åbo Akademi Library in Turku wish to collect works by Tom of Finland and material related to the artist.

Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) supports the desires of the city’s institutions and as a token of that support we have donated one of the artist’s works from our collection to WAM, acting as the Turku City Art Museum.

The gift is a signed, pastel portrait from 1971.

TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991)
Untitled, 1971, Pastel on paper, 15.25” x 12.00”
ToFF #71.07, © 1971 Tom of Finland Foundation

We are very pleased to help Tom’s family and friends in his return to his native region. Turku appreciates his Beauty and shares his Message of freedom.

The work was presented to the Museum on December 15, 2011 by Tom of Finland Foundation president and cofounder, Durk Dehner, a close friend of Tom’s and together they established ToFF on December 14, 1984.

Receiving the gift was Päivi Kiiski,
Director of Fine Arts at the Museum Centre of Turku. “On the identity front, we
are especially interested in Queer research, which makes Tom particularly
fitting for our collection,” Päivi Kiiski says with gratitude.

Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen) , a native of Turku’s neighboring town of Kaarina, conquered the world with his trademark style. “From an art history point of view, Tom of Finland has inspired popular culture and contemporary art in many ways. A modern art museum is the best place for his artistic legacy,” Kiiski says.

Tom passed away in 1991 and now belongs to the world.
He loved his homeland and he loved to meet people from all over the globe.
On paper, he created a world so attractive that countless
numbers of Queers sought to live in it
and, in fact, recreated Tom’s world in their world – the real world.

TOM OF FINLAND

retrospective

PREFACE

At the time when I became aware of my sexual direction, before World War II, all gay activity was forbidden by law in most countries. The gay men I met felt ashamed and guilty, like belonging to a lower human category because they had no right to enjoy their different sexuality.

In my opinion it was very unfair, but even though I had to hide my own desires – or maybe because of it – I started drawing fantasies of free and happy gay men. Soon I began to exaggerate their maleness on purpose to point out that all gays don’t necessarily need to be just “those damn queers,” that they could be as handsome and strong and masculine as any other men.

My young man’s hectic sexual experiences with Finnish and German soldiers in the army during the war built in me a strong fetish for uniforms which has continued through my life and can be seen again and again in my fantasy illustrations.

For several years I made my drawings in secret, just for myself. Then, finally, I showed them to some other people and in 1957 Physique Pictorial in Los Angeles, one of the few all male magazines in the world at that time, began to publish them.

During the years after that, I started seriously to train myself to develop a detailed photorealistic style to make my drawings look more life like.

I know that there are still today many people who for different reasons don’t accept gayness in our world, but I also know that there are others who share my fantasies, and for all those of you, I have made this book.

Los Angeles, 1988