Tom of Finland “The Pleasure of Play”

Artists Space

poster for Tom of Finland “The Pleasure of Play”

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Artists Space presents the first comprehensive survey on the work of Tom of Finland, including more than 140 drawings, rarely seen gouaches from the 1940s, over 600 pages of collages, as well as his early childhood drawings.

Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, aka Tom of Finland (1920, Kaarina – 1991, Helsinki), is considered to be the most iconic gay artist of the 20th century. But it has taken until today, nearly 25 years after his death, to comprehend and acknowledge the wide-reaching artistic importance and cultural impact of his oeuvre.

From the 1920s to the 1990s, Tom of Finland’s biography parallels pivotal moments of 20th century (gay-) history; bearing witness to the disasters, the turmoil and the radical changes that took place. Indeed, his work stands in dialectical relationship to these events and the often oppressive culture that surrounded him. Tom of Finland’s work is not only a fearless portrait of sexuality spanning more than five decades, but also a portrait of the sadomasochistic relationship that is at play between culture and sub-culture. Perhaps it is exactly this aspect that has made his drawings more than a representation of fetish, but indeed a fetish in itself.

Media

Schedule

from June 14, 2015 to September 13, 2015

Opening Reception on 2015-06-13 from 18:00 to 20:00

Artist(s)

Tom of Finland

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