Amit Greenberg and HOMOCO celebrate Tom of Finland’s 100th birthday

Images of Amit taken by Matthew Goli, clothing images courtesy of HOMOCO

HOMOCO announces the Holiday 2020 release of a second capsule collection in partnership with artist This Is Amit and the Tom of Finland Foundation to commemorate Tom of Finland’s centennial birthday. An exclusive interview with artist Amit Greenberg.

This is the second iteration of the collaboration. What can we expect from the second capsule collection? How does it differ from the first?

This collaboration came together to celebrate Tom’s art and legacy on his centennial birthday. While exploring the archives at Tom of Finland Foundation in LA, I discovered some rare gems. Among them a rare Dirty Talk tape from 1984 that accompanied the Kake in Canada comic book, illustrating love affairs (and other encounters) between working men. Another rare find was the sketch of Michelangelo’s David sculpture in Tom’s unique aesthetic, which immediately brought to mind my latest exploration of classical eroticism. I wanted to create an experience beyond a print on fabric. I wanted to bring Tom’s fantasy to life.

To marry Tom’s work with mine, I conceptualized a fictional restoration and construction company, named “Tom’s Full Service,” which imagines the men from Tom’s illustrations as a team of construction workers, restoring classical-style statues. “Tom’s Full Service” construction company even has a working telephone number (929-300-3269) featuring the rare audio recording that I found in the archive.

Tell me a little bit about your visit to the Tom of Finland archive. What was that like?

First and foremost, I highly recommend setting up a visit when that becomes possible. The place itself is rich with stories that give so much more depth to the Foundation and Tom’s work. I had the pleasure of meeting Sharp and Durk, who run the Foundation. Sharp gave me a detailed tour, sharing both Tom’s story, the history behind the house, and the Foundation’s extended activity.

It was surreal to see Tom’s work in person – I’ve seen these images my entire life, but to see them in person was another thing. The Foundation is in Tom’s old house, which is dripping with sex. I have to say, it was an unusual experience being there to do research while also wanting to lean into pure hedonism. I felt like I was in a vortex that allows one to reflect and experience being a queer/gay sexual being with no boundaries or judgment.

READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW

Published: 22nd December 2020

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