Tom of Finland XXL by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Edward Lucie-Smith, Armistead Maupin, Todd Oldham, and edited by Dian Hanson. On sale now, and worth it.—R.T.
In 1998, TASCHEN introduced the world to the masterful art of Touko Laaksonen with The Art of Pleasure. Prior to that, Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, enjoyed an intense cult following in the international gay community but was largely unknown to the broader audience. The Art of Pleasure gave Tom well-deserved recognition and increased his following exponentially; but Tom of Finland XXL will fix him forever in the realm of fine art.
With dimensions of 29 by 40.5cm and 666 pages, Tom of Finland XXL contains over 1,000 images, covering six decades of the artist's career. The work was gathered from all known collections across the US and Europe with the help of the Tom of Finland Foundation and features many drawings, paintings and preparatory sketches that have never been reproduced in any book. Other images have only been seen out of context and will be presented here in the sequential order Tom intended for full artistic appreciation and erotic impact. This elegant oversized volume will showcase the full range of Tom's talent, from sensitive portraits to frank sexual pleasure to tender expressions of love and Tom's haunting tributes to young men struck down by the AIDS epidemic.
Completing this collector's edition are eight specially commissioned essays on Tom's social and personal impact by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, Todd Oldham, and others, plus a scholarly analysis of individual drawings by art historian Edward Lucie-Smith. For the man—or woman—who thinks bigger is better, Tom of Finland XXL is certain to satisfy.
