Tom of Finland: The Art of Pleasure (Photo & Sexy Books)

Brawny hunks boasting larger-than-life muscles and skin-tight leather pants... Crotches engorged and nearly ripping apart seams . Men upon men upon men cavorting and indulging nearly every possible fantasy... Tom s men are so hot they re off the Richter scale. Until TASCHEN published the retrospective volume on this master illustrator s work, his drawings had been relegated to the walls of gay bars and adult shops. Our first publication of this book helped Tom s influence as an artist extend far beyond the gay scene. Now this masterwork is finally being made available again, in a more compact format, for any and all to enjoy.

This book is not just pornography, it is a wake up call of gay awareness. Large, thick and hot, this book has many examples of Tom's artistic and sexual contribution on a large coffee table format and high quality paper.

It's both thought provoking and erotic. It transformed the effeminate gay self image with one that is all man, and very masculine. It is nothing less than an icon.


Recommended   May 17, 1999
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

His art is about high-octane masculinity, with every straining muscle of these muscular bodies lovingly detailed under clothing about to rip apart at the seams. And that includes the crucial zone below the belt, both fore and aft. There was nothing ambiguous about Tom of Finland's interest in drawing, I know it's no good," he himself said. The eroticism is naked, even aggressive. The poses inevitably consigned his work to the pornography shelves, and the walls of leather bars in the gay scene. So far there has been no account of the artistic virtuosity of his work.

The present volume traces the life and career of this important artist. Born in southern Finland, Tom played the piano at local coffee shops to supplement his income as a graphic artist until his watercolors of male sexuality began to appear as covers on major American gay publications. His impact as an artist has since stretched far beyond the gay scene.

About the Author

Micha Ramakers is an art historian. He has written extensively on the work of Tom of Finland and other visual expressions of post-war gay subcultures. He has been a writer and editor for a number of gay and lesbian magazines and a contributor to several books on international lesbian and gay politics. He has also been the curator and director of the gay and lesbian film festival in Brussels, where he lives.

Text in English / German / French, approximately 350 pages, 500 illustrations


Summary   December 18, 1999
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

Oversize HC (Taschen) 1998. Over 300 pages of the art of Tom of Findland. Black-&-white and color plates. An excellent collection of the work from this classic gay artist.


A Great Book By A Great Artist   May 5, 1999
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Tom of Finland helped shape a positive self-image in the gay community at a time when being gay was still considered to be a psychological disorder. He has finally been recognized as a great artist and chronicler of the gay "superman" not just in his own country but throughout the world. This book is beautifully put together: The editor and archivist have created a work with very little text and have allowed the wonderful images speak for the artist. A true collectors item.