Tom of Finland. The Art of Pleasure
Köln: Taschen, 2002. Reprint Edition. Quarto, publisher's illustrated paper-covered boards, illustrated endpapers.
Monograph on legendary Finnish homoerotic fetish artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, by art historian Micha Ramakers. Laaksonen studied as a commercial illustrator before serving in the Finnish army in WWII; the fascination he developed there – for men in uniform and the trappings of male power dynamics – would inform much of his art. He first published in the physical culture magazines of the 1950s, and saw demand for his idealized/exaggerated beefcake drawings increase as gay subcultures thrived in the 60s and 70s. In the mid-80s he established a foundation for the preservation, exhibition, and publication of gay art, his own and others'. "My drawings are primarily meant for guys who may have experienced misunderstanding and oppression and feel that they have somehow failed in their lives. I want to encourage them. I want to encourage this minority group, to tell them not to give up, to think positively about their act and whole being." Illustrated with black-and-white, color, and sepia plates; with an exhibition history. Text in English, French, and German. Originally published in 1998. No dust jacket as issued. Fine. Item #12976
$100.00