Tom Of Finland “Highway Patrol, Greasy Rider, and Other Selected Works”
David Kordansky Gallery
[Image: Tom of Finland "Untitled (from Kake vol. 22 - "Highway Patrol")" (1980) pen and ink on paper, 12 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. Photo: Jeff McLane]
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Tom of Finland: Highway Patrol, Greasy Rider, and Other Selected Works features collages and drawings by the iconic artist, including a full suite of rarely exhibited panels from the series Kake vol. 21 - “Greasy Rider” (1978) and Kake vol. 22 - “Highway Patrol” (1980).
For Tom, drawing started as a hobby and a way to see the world as only he envisioned it. He began incorporating—and embellishing—found imagery early in his practice, often adding nipples or mustaches to images of seemingly heteronormative men. This appropriation quickly became integral to the development of his figurative iconography. Tom pulled images from a vast collection of materials, including mainstream advertisements and early gay magazines, and organized them into thematic reference pages that analyzed anatomy, posture, and expression, all characteristics that eventually helped shape the signature “Tom’s man.” He subverted traditional masculine roles associated with men of action and service—soldiers, police officers, bikers—by drawing attention to their tight-fitting uniforms and bulging jodhpurs while also playing with the authoritative narrative potential inherent to these roles. Tom’s bold line work, delicate pencil shading, and reference collages portraying a range of poses and attributes demonstrate his admiration for—and total devotion to—his subject matter.
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Schedule
from January 13, 2023 to February 25, 2023