e-news #137 june 9, 2012

TOM  OF  FINLAND  FOUNDATION

Tip's of the Hat and Odds & Ends:

Click Here for Durk Dehner Click Here for Gary Everett

Last year a new Finnish Tom of Finland archive with partners Wäinö Aaltonen Museum in Turku, and Åbo Akademi University. Now created is a cooperative project involving Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles; Åbo Akademi; Wäinö Aaltonen Museum and Homotopia, Liverpool. Helsinki has a key role, as Tom lived and worked here a long time. It began on Saturday with the establishment of a new Tom of Finland Society (Tom of Finland Seura). Two audio interviews in English tell what is going on. More info in Finnish

Tom of Finland in South Beach
Reviewed in Wire Magazine

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

More of this Article on TOM's Blog

A Generous Donation From
Katie Herzog

Tom of Finland XXL book in casing.
Photo by LIBBY FREEMAN

A recent addition to the Foundation’s Permanent Collection is this sculpture Literaturwurst by Katie Herzog,.installed in the ToFF Library.

The projects of Katie Herzog are actively engaged in rethinking contemporary forms of information distribution, alternative models of archivization, the traditions of librarianship and how artistic interventions communicate both inside and outside the confines of the fine art world. Her most recent project, Literaturwurst, takes up a process of appropriation with a contemporary twist.

Whether her book sausages are seen as seasoned writings, food for thought or nourishment for the mind, Herzog’s works redress the functionality of copyright laws as a series of expropriative restrictions.

“Herzog is headed into provocative territory.” — LA Times

A Generous Donation From
Uli of Berlin

Uli has donated to the Foundation archives letters he received from Tom of Finland. “I have held them sacred for all these years and it is good to know they are in good hands”.

Uli was a big part of the creation of Gay culture in Berlin. With his drawings, he was one of the first who opened the door for the Gay subcluture in Germany. Since those beginnings many artists have emerged, “That’s been so good”, he says.

“The thought of Tom’s drawings in my life has given me a lot of strenght, joy and confidence”. Uli of Berlin has always drawn out of joy.

Dear Uli, Best of thanks for your letter with signed photos of your very good drawings. I hope we cand meet soon to talk more. All the best, Tom

A Generous Donation From
Trevor Wayne

Pin-Up Show

Graceland by TREVOR WAYNE

A recent addition to the Tom of Finland library is the mini-magazine of the multi-talented artist Trevor Wayne, Pin-Up Show.

An overheard quote about Trevor's artwork, "Like Lichtenstein and Warhold meets Mad Magazine.

Trevor Wayne's Website

Get It Before It's Gone
HORST Magazine

The debut issue of HORST Magazine features fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld (alongside his muse, Baptiste Giabiconi), Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten (Dsquared2), and Jean Paul Gaultier in an erotic Tom of Finland-inspired story, illustrated by Bendix Bauer.

The project is focused on the lifestyle of modern Gay men who don’t define themselves on the basis of their sexual orientation. It’s about being a man, being at ease with your body, with your desires, with your needs, with your habits, with your sexuality.

The visuals are breathtaking high-end images incorporating expressive, mind-blowing and sometimes even shocking subjects. Sex sells, we all know that. Many big campaigns set new standards when they’re published. Sex is a huge part of professional advertising; sex is success.

The first issue is a limited edition of 1.000 copies, which is available in some selected stores in Germany (such as Bruno’s Stores) and online. As of June 8, 2012, only 109 copies remain.

HORST Website

Issue 8
Mein Schwules Auge

Mein Schwules Auge (My Gay Eye) Volume 8: Yearbook of the Gay Erotic.

Axel Schock (Editor) and Rinaldo Hopf (Photographer)

A diverse selection of gay erotic literature, art, and photography comprises this volume of contributions from both American and European writers, artists, and photographers. The featured essays, short stories, poems, and artwork focus on the provocative subject of rebels and demonstrate the changes in every medium of erotic art from one year to the next.

Showing how the genre is constantly and creatively reinventing itself, this is a fascinating look at a versatile form of expression. In German, 320 pgs.

Thanks to Rinaldo Hopf for this series of pure indulgence

Get it on Amazon!

Our Congratulations to
Mr. CSW Leather 2013, Kieron Axel Ryan

Mr. CSW Leather 2012, Neal Kenji Christensen and
Mr. CSW Leather 2013, Kieron Axel Ryan
Photo: JayPG Photography

See more photos of the Contest and contestant interviews at TOM House on
TOM's Blog

Here's one way to
Define Yourself!

With the Tom of Finland Ringer T

For A Look At The Entire Year, Visit The
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