Book dossier

Tom of Finland

by Tom of Finland, Juerg Judin, Pay Matthis Karstens

"Although Tom of Finland's iconic portrayals of sensual and powerful cowboys, farm hands, soldiers and leathermen are closely associated with American culture, it was in early 1970s Hamburg that the artist first found fame. There he formed important friendships with various protagonists of the city's gay culture; his first ever exhibition was in Hamburg; and he even created a grand mural for the legendary Tom's Bar, which remains the only bar legitimately named after the artist. Regular commissions to design posters and ads for gay events in Hamburg allowed him to quit his day job as advertising executive and launch his artistic career, which led to the creation of the most extensive private collection of his drawings to date. This comprehensive publication delves into these seminal but under-researched years, documenting Tom of Finland's art and friendships from this time. Alongside around 150 illustrations and well researched texts, the book includes a facsimile of the artist's 1955 travel diary in Germany"--