03/17/09
Text: Nik Mercer
If you're not a member of the gay community, the artist Touko Laaksonen, aka Tom of Finland, may be a new one to you despite his six decade legacy. Taschen released a saucy book of his, The Art of Pleasure, back in 1998, and is now delivering us more sexed-up goodies with Tom of Finland XXL. The $200 USD mega tome (cheekily 666 pages in length), out now via Taschen's online store plunges deep into Tom's unusual artwork and off-kilter sensibilities from his beginnings in the 1940s (when such works would never have submerged from the underground and would certainly have been hard to swallow) through his most successful episode in the more hospitable 1970s and 80s. Over 1,000 images are reverentially exhibited with supplemental commissioned essays sprinkled throughout by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, and Todd Oldham among others concerning the social and personal impact of Laaksonen's oil paintings and charcoal drawings. We haven't read the pieces yet, but we can guess they're no less extreme than the man's legendary art.
No expression of love was too dirty―or heartwarmingly fuzzy and romantic―for Tom, so expect every color of the spectrum in this big boy.
We can't wait to add Tom of Finland XXL to our collection, and we highly recommend you follow suit. Just don't leave it on the coffee table when Junior's around unless you're prepared to answer "what's a butt plug?" over dinner.
The images to the right, save for the first one, are not safe for work. Click through at your own risk.
