On TOM and His Foundation

Untitled Document

Nordic Gods TOM of FINLAND'S Men of the Forest

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TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 - 1991)
Nordic God (From Men of the Forest series), 1969
Graphite on paper, 11.50" x 8.00"
ToFF Permanent Collection #69.11
©1969 Tom of Finland Foundation

Touko Laaksonen Was Born in the Spring of 1920
and Became Tom of Finland in the Spring of 1957

Tom set the proud love of man-by-man in full motion. In 2,000 years, no one has produced such remarkable changes in worldview with such a simple message: Gay = Good.

The mention of "Tom of Finland" produces smiles, ears at attention. Tom of Finland is what we all wish we could be, the man all women wish they could meet.

Tom of Finland is the embodiment of all things favorable in life. Tom personifies nature and exemplifies reasonable thought.Tom of Finland is the uberman, fantastic in all ways.

Aware of what society had denied Homosexuals, Tom of Finland went about liberating an entire class of people by returning to them what was always, rightfully theirs.
I wanted to show Gays they can feel happy together. I wanted to tell them they have a right to enjoy life in their way - Gays being together feeling happy, being proud of who they are.

When Homosexuals were considered pansies and poufs at the best, or mentally ill perverts eroding the moral fiber of society at the worst, Tom was at work creating archetypes of healthy, masculine men who participate together freely, out in nature, in broad daylight - a decree given unto them from Nature herself.

Men knew instinctively that Tom drew with them in mind. He gave them new male identities from which they could choose, not ones prescribed to them by society. He wanted boys to grow healthy and strong, both physically and mentally. He saw them as whole and complete - pure and sound as the Finnish spirit.

Tom, the great liberator, wanted to break the old cycles of poor self-esteem or self-loathing that resulted from centuries of religious-based discrimination and outcasting. He wished to release the shackles that held all who were sexually oppressed and especially his brothers who had never been granted full manhood.
With purpose I wanted to influence Gays, to change their opinion of themselves. I also wanted to influence Straight people so they could understand and accept the beauty and rights that Gay people should have. .

As the ultimate equalizer, Tom freed everyone to take all positions on the sexual playing field. In his drawings tops and bottoms switched roles without restraint. Before Tom, the dominant partner had always been labeled as “manlier”, a falsehood constructed by outsiders based on the male/female model. Tom took great pleasure in upsetting this stereotype.

All males benefited from Tom's liberal, equalitarian thinking and his appreciation of the male form. Men took a newfound interest in style, fitness and fashion. Heterosexual men could now be more open in giving and receiving compliments, displaying themselves publicly and showing interest in their own appearance. Launched were physical fitness clubs, tattoo and body piercing studios, and multimillion dollar men's skin care lines.

Speaking at a fundraiser acknowledging the acceptance of five Tom of Finlands into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Harvey S. Shipley Miller, Trustee of The Judith Rothschild Foundation, stated:
Tom of Finland was one of most influential artists of the 20th century. He drew in values, as an artist superb, as an influence transcendent. What he did was open Â the doorway, the path for so many to follow by not being afraid of homoerotic subject matter and also the way it was treated. His influence transcended into the culture and became part of it.

We see it in fashion from the designs of Tom Ford and Jean-Paul Gauthier to the styling and content of work by Bruce Weber. It can be found in the presentations of Freddy Mercury, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Village People, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Adam Ant. In cinema: Kenneth Anger and Rainer Fassbinder to Al Pacino in Crusing. His influence is clearly seen in Robert Mapplethorpe's work and that of Pierre et Gilles and Juan Davila. It can also be felt in California artists Richard Hawkins and Mike Kelly.

Curators recognized the enormous influence his work had in the creation and development of what came to be known as "California gym culture," and included in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's exhibition, Made in California 1900-2000.

Contemporary French photographer, Rachel Laurent, visited Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard's opening of a Tom of Finland retrospective in Paris. Her excitement in being there was very apparent. When approached and asked why she was so enthralled, she said:
I have arrived at the bastion of freedom. Displayed here are the works of a man that didn't cower or inhibit himself in his expression of what was in his heart. He represents freedom for us all.

Tom of Finland: His Purpose

Tom wanted his heroic males to celebrate their manhood providing young developing homosexuals a life with no shame or guilt - and to enjoy being sexual. In Tom's realm his men have no inhibitions, no reason for remorse. Tom was a rebel with a cause.

Going back to 1950 we see the formidable signs of Tom beginning to become an instigator in form and action. It was Tom who, from seeing some photos from the film The Wild One with Marlon Brando, immediately transformed his uniforms from flannel and brown leather to the dark, mysterious and sensual black leather.

This inspired a whole new subculture of leather-clad queer boys. These fellows made Tom's drawings "their own" and from there sprang the beginnings of bike clubs and leather bars. These boys would be seen throughout the western countries of Europe and North America, all the way down to Australia and South Africa.

In the early years there was little separation between heterosexual and homosexual bikers as they both wore similar gear, much of which Tom presented first in his drawings. His designs then found their way to the leather makers who began to manufacture the military-style-uniform-gone motor-biker.

Tom expanded the portrayal of his men to include sailors, beach bums, cops, and cowpokes in addition to other iconic images of thugs. He included every variation of the entire military corps along with a healthy sampling of lumberjacks and farm hands. These were the men that Tom was devoted to holding up as his heroic Viking-type Gods of the North. Men devoured his work and celebrated their newfound male identities with fervor.

Spanning five decades, starting in the mid 40s, Tom's mission was to provide other homosexuals with strong positive images of themselves. His brothers were staking their claim to their own identity as Men. This was critical, as up to that time they had been classified as anything but men. No one had effected such change and transference into culture since ancient times. Tom's work continues to cross generational boundaries, making available to all that seek it, a sense of pride, freedom and strength in being who they are — as nature intended. Tom's men, masculine by nature, are homosexual.

Tom, however, didn't expect that his vision would be so widely accepted and expressed through such a creative presence on so many levels of society. From such artists as Bruce Weber and Robert Mapplethorpe in New York to Juan Davila in Australia; in men's fashion from Tom Ford of Gucci in Milan to Gary Robinson and David Johnson of Tom of Finland Clothing in New York to Jean Paul Gauthier in Paris; from Freddy Mercury, Judas Priest, Adam Ant and Bronsky Beat from Great Britain to the creation of the Village People in the U.S. They all drew inspiration and influences from Tom's works and his message.

A link to a short biography on Tom of Finland.

“"I work very hard to make sure that the men I draw
having sex are proud men having happy sex."

Tom of Finland

Tom of Finland Foundation: Our Purpose

When the Tom of Finland Foundation had a presence at the American Swingers Convention in Las Vegas a man in his mid-forties came up to our booth. He was handsomely dressed with a well defined body, showing off his muscles under a tight fitting Lacoste shirt, jodhpurs which were tight to the thigh and buttocks and knee high English riding boots which had a mirror like spit shine.

He proudly stated that the men in Tom's drawings were his ubermen. From his youth he had modeled himself after them for they were exactly how he felt about himself with the one exception; that he was attracted to women.

He went on to express that he and his wife, who joined him at the booth, wanted to buy the Tom Retrospective book for their son who was now approaching his 21st birthday. They felt he was mature enough to view Tom's work, and in their eyes, there was no better gift they could offer their son. With theirs (and Tom's) guidance they felt they could encourage a balance in his male nature.

They wished their son to be outgoing, free in his actions and assertive and proud of his manhood. This coupled with the ability to laugh at himself and having a keen interest in arousing and satisfying his partner's sexual appetite.

They felt that Tom's drawings were the embodiment of these attributes that they held in high regard. How evolved and secure this couple was to understand the messages of his work and to instinctively trust their son would take what was there for him without a worry that their son would turn queer.

As a messenger, Tom provided what was needed, and wanted, by a society too long in fear of the danger and ridicule associated with the freedom of sexual expression. He was the defender for all men, and especially for those homosexuals whose true nature was suppressed by a cruel family or an unfriendly society.

Tom wasn't concerned if the men in his drawings were too exaggerated in their super masculine style. This was the character that had long been denied homosexuals and he was going to make sure to offer it to them. Tom didn't care if his brothers donned the uberman style that he personally so enjoyed and found sexy. He just wanted to make sure they knew who they were — MEN.

His passion continues...

Tom and Durk created the Foundation so that future generations could enjoy his legacy.

Tom has been noted as one of the five most influential artists of the 20th Century. "As an artist he was, superb, but as an influence he was transcendent."

—Harvey S. A. Shipley Miller, Judith Rothschild Foundation.

Tom's work is in museums such as MoMA, The Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA and his home country's Kiasma.

Part of Permanent Collection of MoMA

Our Future

The future is being made by all of us, so in reading this, embrace what inspires you and pay attention to what aspects of yourself make YOU so unique. To be queer is a responsibility; we live up to our expectations.

Be absolutely fabulous,

Durk Dehner
President & Cofounder

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

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