Jun 6, 2012
Tom of Finland: The Grand Master of Homoerotic Art Exhibits at WEAM
By James Cubby
Tom of Finland, the pseudonym of Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, is best known for his stylized in-your-face erotic and fetish art depicting heavily muscled men with large penises in tight or partially removed clothing. Some may be shocked by the work of Tom of Finland, who was labeled as the “most influential creator of gay pornographic images” by cultural historian Joseph W. Slade, however, his work has been exhibited in some of the world’s most important museums and galleries and is included in the permanent collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design to name a few. “The MoMA in New York owns a finished drawing depicting a young man and several studies,” states art collector Volker Morlock, who has been involved with the Tom of Finland Foundation since 1991 and is curator of TOM OF FINLAND: Male Masterworks, the major exhibition of Tom of Finland homoerotic drawings that opened at the World Erotic Art Museum during the Miami Beach Pride Weekend.
You can see the exhibition until July 31st at
World Erotic Art Museum
Miami Beach
Continue Reading »
Apr 18, 2012
Chris Dickerson, World Erotic Art Museum, 2012
Chris Dickerson is see here with the drawing
Tom of Finland did of him in 1972.
One of the world’s most titled bodybuilders,
Dickerson’s competitive career spanned thirty years;
he was known for both his heavily muscled,
symmetrical physique and for his skills on the posing dais.
Chris Dickerson on stage
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Chris Dickerson), 1982, Graphite on paper, ToFF #82.17, © 1982 Tom of Finland Foundation
He attended Olney Friends School,
studied music and is an accomplished opera singer,
in addition to his career in athletics.
Chris retired in 1994
and was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2000.
A ToFF Member and former resident of Los Angeles,
Chris now lives in Florida.
You can see the exhibition until July 31st at
World Erotic Art Museum
Miami Beach
Apr 17, 2012
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Detail), 1966, Graphite on paper, #66.12, © 1962 Tom of Finland Foundation
TOM OF FINLAND – Male Masterworks exhibition opens on the weekend of Miami Beach Gay Pride with artwork that greatly influences Gay culture by challenging oppressive stereotypes. By depicting masculine men enjoying their sexuality free of shame, Tom of Finland has had an important effect on global culture. Harvey S. Shipley Miller of The Judith Rothschild Foundation stated that, “Tom of Finland was one of the five most influential artists of the last century; that influence transcended into the culture and became it.”
Five decades of this prolific artist’s work is represented and shows, in chronological order, the development of his techniques and the breadth of his subject matter. Also, as part of the exhibit, is a new video tribute to Tom of Finland and rare, vintage memorabilia.
Curator Volker Morlock, an art collector himself, has been involved with Tom of Finland Foundation since 1991 and was the editor of its anthology, Tom of Finland Retrospective III. Morlock was also a consultant for Taschen Publishing on its book, Tom of Finland XXL.
The exhibition runs till July 31, 2012.
READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
Apr 15, 2012
-
Tom of Finland by Robert Mapplethorpe
Volker Morlock and Naomi Wilzig
PHOTOS BY DAVID L. JARRETT
Now through July 31, 2012
Apr 11, 2012
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Detail from "Sailor's Dream"), 1959, Graphite on paper,Tom of Finland Foundation Permanent Collection #59.05, © 1959 Tom of Finland Foundation
An exhibition of the art of Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, 1920-1991), a pioneer in twentieth-century Gay male erotic art, will be presented by the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach from April 14 through July 31, 2012. The show, entitled TOM OF FINLAND: Male Masterworks will feature twenty paintings and drawings, some of which have never before been exhibited.
Curator Volker Morlock will give a talk at the exhibition’s opening, which will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 7:00 pm until midnight at the Museum.
Glbtq contributor Ken Gonzalez-Day calls Tom of Finland an iconic artist who “has created some of the most indelible (and erotic) images of twentieth-century Gay life and has fueled the fantasies of generations of Gay men.” His work retains its relevance and erotic punch today.
Morlock has arranged the works on display chronologically to allow visitors to see the progression of the artist’s style and the evolution of his choices of subjects.
“Miami Beach is a vital art center and Male Masterworks is a great opportunity to celebrate Tom – both as a liberator and as an artist – during the city’s Pride.” -S. R. Sharp, VP and curator for Tom of Finland Foundation
Apr 11, 2012
TOM OF FINLAND : MALE MASTERWORKS
DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF THE PIONEER OF HOMOEROTIC ART,
TO OPEN EXTENSIVE EXHIBIT OF DRAWINGS
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 THROUGH JULY 31
AT MIAMI BEACH’S
WORLD EROTIC ART MUSEUM
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled, 1989, Color pencil on paper, ToFF #89.17, © 1989 Tom of Finland Foundation
Tom of Finland,
born Touko Laaksonen in Kaarina, Finland,
who came to be known throughout the international art world
for his extraordinary homoerotic drawings depicting men at ease and equally at play,
will be the subject of a major exhibit.
OPENING FOR MIAMI BEACH GAY PRIDE
Raised in a farm country that was still rough and wild, Finland who came from a family of school teachers and studied art in Helsinki, was drawn to the muscular frontiersmen who became the inspiration for his drawings. It was following his release from the army after World War II that Touko was urged by advertising colleagues to submit his drawings to the American bodybuilding magazine, Physique Pictorial. The 1957 cover story of a laughing lumberjack became a sensation establishing his name as
“Tom of Finland.”
BY STEVE ROTHAUS, MIAMIHERALD.COM
Apr 7, 2012
Art collector Volker Morlock, who has been involved with Tom of Finland Foundation since 1991, editor of the anthology, Tom of Finland Retrospective III, and consultant for Taschen Publishing on the books Quaintance and Tom of Finland XXL, will be special guest speaker at the opening night reception. Morlock has curated the exhibit’s original artwork which illustrates the development of Finland’s techniques and the breadth of his subject matter through five decades of his prolific work.
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), Untitled (Detail, from the "The Tattooed Sailor" series), 1962, Graphite on paper, ToFF Permanent Collection #62.07, © 1962 Tom of Finland Foundation
By depicting masculine men enjoying their sexuality free of shame, Tom of Finland has had an important effect on global culture, in fact, he has been noted as one of the five most influential artists of the last century.
With his work generating invitations to exhibit in museums and galleries worldwide, in 1984, Finland and friend Durk Dehner founded Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF), lender of drawings and paintings which will also be on view.
Opening on the weekend of Miami Beach Gay Pride, the exhibit focuses on artwork that greatly influenced Gay culture by challenging oppressive stereotypes.
TOM OF FINLAND: Male Masterworks
Opening Saturday, April 14, at 8 P.M. at World Erotic Art Museum, 1205 Washington Avenue. Tickets are $15, no one under 18 admitted.
Apr 6, 2012
World Erotic Art Museum will honor master artist Tom Finland on Saturday, April 14 with a major exhibit of the famous artist’s work that is bound to be one of the most talked about events during Miami Beach Gay Pride weekend.
Museum owner Naomi Wilzig decided to showcase Finland’s work not only because of his artistic but also because of his groundbreaking work in the depiction of Gay men. Wilzig has been hailed as a pioneer for her courage in bringing erotic art to the public.
At the exhibit, entitled
TOM OF FINLAND – Male Masterworks,
art collector Volker Morlock, will give a talk on the pioneering artist, who is known throughout the world for his extraordinary homoerotic drawings depicting men. Morlock has been involved with Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) for more than 20 years, and has served as editor and consultant for art books that showcase Finland’s work.
ToFF is a nonprofit Educational Archive dedicated to the protection, preservation and promotion of erotic art and the encouragement of healthier, more tolerant attitudes about sexuality. They have been kind enough to loan works from their permanent collection for this exhibition.
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991)
“California” (Detail), 1981, Color pencil on paper
ToFF #81.01, © 1981 Tom of Finland Foundation
Tom of Finland died in 1991, but his work remains revered, and it is generally agreed that his finely detailed body of work will never be surpassed.
The exhibit will be on display from April 14 – July 31.
Located in South Beach, Naomi Wilzig’s World Erotic Art Museum is heralded as one of America’s best, little-known museums.
READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE BY CHARLOTTE LIBOV AT EXAMINER.COM
Mar 31, 2012
TOM OF FINLAND – Male Masterworks
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991)
California (Detail), 1981, Color pencil on paper
ToFF #81.01, © 1981 Tom of Finland Foundation
Opening Reception
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 7:00 pm – Midnight
Opening on the weekend of Miami Beach Gay Pride,
this exhibit of 20 original drawings and paintings
focuses on artwork that greatly influences Gay culture
by challenging oppressive stereotypes.
By depicting masculine men enjoying their sexuality free of shame,
Tom of Finland has had an important effect on global culture.
Five decades of this prolific artist’s work is represented
and shows the development of his techniques
and the breadth of his subject matter,
with many pieces shown to the public for the very first time.
Tom of Finland’s art continues to play an important role in promoting self-confidence,
openness and a positive self-image in the Gay community.
Even with progress in Gay rights, stereotyping continues in entertainment and media,
proving that a discussion about the diversity
of masculine and feminine role models is as relevant now, as ever.
The curator, Volker Morlock,
will give a talk on the pioneering artist at the opening.
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991)
Untitled, 1985, Graphite on paper
ToFF #85.12, © 1985 Tom of Finland Foundation
Also, as part of the exhibit,
is a new video tribute to Tom of Finland
and rare, vintage memorabilia.
April 14, 2012 – July 31, 2012
Admission: $15 to Museum
1205 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach
Mar 6, 2012
TOM OF FINLAND – Male Masterworks
TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991), “Ecstasy” (Detail), 1981, Color pencil on paper, 13.75” x 15.63”, Tom of Finland Foundation Permanent Collection #81.35, © 1981 Tom of Finland Foundation
April 14, 2012 – July 31, 2012
Opening on the weekend of Miami Beach Gay Pride,
this exhibit focuses on artwork that greatly influenced
Gay culture by challenging oppressive stereotypes.
By depicting masculine men enjoying their sexuality free of shame,
Tom of Finland has had an important effect on global culture,
in fact, he has been noted as one of the five
most influential artists of the last century.
Contact
Subscribe
No Comments 
