TOM  OF  FINLAND  FOUNDATION

Tips Of The Hat And Odds & Ends:

Kati Mustola outside Kiasma museum

Marching in Helsinki Pride The Finnish procession made its way from Senate Square, down Aleksanterinkatu Street, and along the city’s main thoroughfare, Mannerheimintie to Hakasalmi Park — the site of an afternoon festival with 7,000 people participating. Participants in Helsinki Pride 2013 week’s annual parade included the American ambassador to Finland, Bruce Oreck, Sports and Culture Minister Paavo Arhinmäki, Minority Ombudsman Eeva Biaudet, Tom of Finland Seura and MSC Finland – Tom’s Club. Helsinki Pride 2013 Website

You Made It Happen: TOM’S BAR ’13 Tom wanted a party — and that is exactly what you gave him! TOM’s Foundation thanks every soul that made TOM’s Bar rock this year. A big thanks to the artists that give us so much: Michael Kirwan, Rick Castro, Steven H. Garcia, E. Salvador Hernandez, Lalo Ugalde, and Hector Silva. Kudos to the stalwart ToFF Volunteers! Plus our sponsors (can’t do anything without them). Shawn Farnsworth and the Faultline staff, host Pup Don and the Los Angeles Bank of Brothers, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Sold Out Clothing, 665, Instigator Magazine, DJ Rocketman LA, PornTeam, Maximus, Slyd, Midtowne Spa and JocksAndMore. Thank you to Robert Green, John Mendez, Miguel Angel Reyes and Lorenzo Gomez for their amazing photos of the event! Photos and more on TOM's Blog

Tom of Finland:
Crossing Over To The Realm Of Fine Art

TOM OF FINLAND, Untitled (Detail) 1976, Gouache on paper, 17.75” x 24.00”
Volker Morlock collection, © 1976 Tom of Finland Foundation

Words: Alice Lenkiewicz ©Artlyst 2013

Tom Laaksonen passed away in 1991. His legacy has influenced an entire generation. In 1984 the Tom of Finland Foundation was dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting homoerotic artwork. Although Tom may have been criticised by some in the Art world, he remained true to himself and opened up another important thread to how the public perceive art. Tom of Finland’s work covers six decades. His social and personal impact has placed his work within the Fine Art realm.

More on TOM's Blog

The British Museum Introduces
Audio Gay History Guide

The British Museum has introduced a new audio guide narrated by Simon Russell Beale, which focuses on gay content in the museum collection. The project titled “A Little Gay History” brings to light objects and art from ancient Egyptian scrolls to the homoerotic depictions on Greek and Roman pottery.

The project concepted and written by curator Richard Parkinson explores what it means to be gay by recording same-sex themes in art from the ancient world to David Hockney.

“Museums have always been very important spaces for people to consider their own sexual identity,” explained Mr Parkinson – curator in the ancient Egypt department – in the guide. ”Most museums have collections of Greek and Roman statues which show men looking very naked, so for men who desired other men it was one of the few spaces where they could look at naked male bodies in a culturally respectable sort of way.”

“People often think that gay and lesbian history is a minority history, but of course it is part of humanity’s history. Sexual diversity is something that affects us all.” Mr Parkinson added.

More on the ArtLyst Website

Institute Of Contemporary Arts:
Exhibition Explores Politics, Gender And Sexuality

© 1962 Tom of Finland Foundation

A new exhibition at London’s ICA titled Keep Your Timber Limber explores how artists since the 1940s to the present day have used drawing to address ideas critical and current to their time, ranging from the politics of gender and sexuality to feminist issues, war, censorship and race. Stretching from fashion to erotica, the works can all be viewed as being in some way transgressive, employing traditional and commercial drawing techniques to challenge specific social, political or stylistic conventions.

Choosing to step outside the boundaries of social acceptability, the works in Keep Your Timber Limber (Works on Paper) comprise modest proposals and trenchant political gestures. At first glance, Tom of Finland’s erotic drawings from the 1950s and '60s seem to be simply pornographic, though they always endeavor – as part of a personal manifesto – to present the healthy sex lives of gay men. Unusual at the time, homosexual erotica often portrayed men as aggressive, angry or shameful. Tom of Finland’s beaming protagonists illustrate these unions as joyful ones. Tom of Finland’s drawings have since become an important beacon for many homosexual men – found in physique pamphlets they were their first introduction to a world of which they were a part.

Keep Your Timber Limber ICA London June 19 - September 8

Turku’s European Capital Of Culture Year 2011
An Example For Future Titleholders

Turku’s Capital of Culture year 2011 was an excellent example for future capitals of culture, with its emphasis on well-being and programme that encouraged the active participation of people. A significant new initiative was also the introduction of scientific research into the year’s programme.

Sylvain Pasqua, who works at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture, attending the publication of the evaluation report and compilation of articles, thanked Turku for evaluating what the Capital of Culture year had to offer and for looking far into the future. On behalf of the Commission, Pasqua participates in the selection of capitals of culture and in the preparation of new legislation concerning them.

"The European Capitals of Culture can produce huge cultural, economic and social benefits for cities holding the title. For that to happen, they must be embedded in the long term development strategy of the cities, and cities must have evaluation tools at their disposal to better steer the whole process. That is why the on-going evaluation being carried out in Turku is so important and exemplar. It provides the city of Turku with the opportunity to better understand the many changes which have been – and are still being – induced through hosting the title, and better accompany future developments", said Pasqua.

"I can only invite your city to continue making the most of its year as European Capital of Culture", he continued.

Full Article on Turku ÅBO 2011 Website

The Tom of Finland retrospective was one of the key highlights of
Turku’s European Capital of Culture 2011.

From The Archives
Homotopia’s Campaign For Their 5th Festival Outing
In European Capital Of Culture Year 2008

Homotopia (Liverpool, UK) is preparing for it’s 10th annual festival in 2013.

Says Artistic Director Gary Everett “From modest beginnings in 2004 Homotopia has grown into an international flag-bearer for high quality queer culture consistently punching above our weight. We are very excited to bring an international star like John Waters to Liverpool for our big tenth birthday celebrations.”

The creator of Hairspray and collaborator with, amongst others, Divine, Mink Stole, Johnny Depp, Kathleen Turner and Tab Hunter, will be performing his one man show This Filthy World. Focusing on his early negative artistic influences and fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy and the extremes of the contemporary art world, this joyously devious monologue elevates all that is trashy in life into a call to arms to “filth followers” everywhere.

Check out the BIG plans for their 10th birthday!

Data In On
U.S.’s Social Experiment

The founders of this country created a revolutionary nation – no other existed like it at the time. They created a government, powerful yet arranged to protect us in all our rights. The framers of the Constitution included men who had fought a war for independence – the very war celebrated on this “Glorious Fourth” – against a country in which church and state were essentially one, ruled under the doctrine of divine right.

These wise and learned men understood the long history of sectarian bloodshed in Europe that brought many pilgrims to America. They knew the dangers of merging government, which was designed to preserve individual rights, with religion, which as Thomas Jefferson argued, was a matter of personal conscience.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison understood how the officially Christian governments of Europe had crushed human freedom, they knew about the constant religious wars among rival factions of Christianity, and, on their own shores, had witnessed religious oppression and pious tyranny in the American colonies firsthand.

The supreme law of the land – the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1787 – includes no references to religion or a god – including in the presidential oath of office – until the conclusion of Article VI, “No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

From the United States Declaration of Independence, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” guarantees each and every citizen of the United States of America – the first secular government in the world – the freedom to reject or accept religion, the right to determine his or her own spiritual path, if any, and empowers us to make our own, private decisions.

June 26, 2013
Equality Rules!

With Sharp, David Villegas, Dave Alexson, Kersu Dalal, Justin Emerick,
Tom Trafelet, Durk Dehner (and Mack) and Esteban Bartholo Iriarte.
Photo: T. E. Ponce Photography

LA's Black Cat Tavern was established in 1966. Two months later, on the night of New Year’s 1967, several plain-clothes police officers infiltrated the Black Cat Tavern. After arresting several patrons for kissing as they celebrated the occasion, the undercover police officers began beating several of the patrons and ultimately arrested thirteen patrons and three bartenders.

This created a riot in the immediate area that expanded to include the bar across Sanborn Avenue called New Faces where officers knocked down the owner (a woman) and beat two bartenders unconscious.

Several days later, this police action incited a civil demonstration of over 200 attendees to protest the raids. The demonstration was organized by a group called PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education). The protest was met by squadrons of armed policemen. Two of the men arrested for kissing were later convicted under state law and registered as sex offenders. The men appealed, asserting their right of equal protection under the law, but the U.S. Supreme Court did not accept their case.

It was from this event that the publication The Advocate began as a newspaper for PRIDE (Personal Rights in Defense and Education). Together the raid on the Black Cat Tavern and later the raid on The Patch in August 1968 inspired the formation of the Metropolitan Community Church.

These events surrounding the Black Cat Tavern in Los Angeles pre-dated the New York Stonewall riots by over two years.

Wikipedia entry for Black Cat Tavern

Time To Renew?
You Are Part Of The Picture

Over the years ToFF has remained the foremost erotic art organization across the globe. Without your contribution we could not make the future of the Foundation possible and appreciate your continued support. Your membership allows us to maintain a commitment to protect, preserve, and promote erotic art.

As a Member you are helping us promote both emerging and established erotic artists. A few of the exhibitions include The Mutable Portrait , Tilt, Ménage Men, Less Than 10”, as well as exhibitions featuring George Towne, John Williams, Jeremy Lucido, Fernando Carpaneda, Michael Kirwan, REX, and Herb Ritts. Tom of Finland’s work continues to be seen coast to coast in the U.S. and across the globe. In the center of Stockholm, TOM’s art was featured in a retrospective welcomed at their cultural center.

There are new titles on TOM including a beautiful anthology of the artist: TOM OF FINLAND – Life and Work of a Gay Hero. ToFF continues to supply publishers and producers with high quality images and accurate information about TOM and frequently presents new artists for different projects.

TOM was a founder of MSC Finland, a club for leather, rubber and biker guys. Your membership also supports Leather fraternities and contests, both local and international and allows us to have a presence at events such as San Diego Pride and Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles home and headquarters of ToFF, “TOM House”, is approaching 100 years old. Your contribution will help us maintain this cultural monument as we continue to expand our educational and philanthropic efforts to include an artist exchange program with Finland. As you can imagine, your support goes a long way and we hope we can count on you to renew your membership or upgrade to another membership level. Remember, your contributions are considered tax-deductible. We are grateful for your help in the past and we look forward to growing our relationship in the future!

TOM changed the world – keep keeping it a better place.

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Seven Levels of Participation

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