Martin of Holland has passed

MARTIN OF HOLLAND, Untitled (detail), 1977, From Tom of Finland Foundation Collection © 1977 Martin Holland

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, we here at Tom of Finland Foundation received some very sad, though not unexpectednews from the Netherlands. Martin Van De Logt, the artist known around the world as Martin of Holland, died at his home in Den Haag, in the company for his friends and family, from an inoperable brain tumor, diagnosed earlier this year.

Martin of Holland’s art appeals to very specific tastes, and to call it extreme might be a bit of an understatement. His passion for the subject matter and his unflinching imagination set him a part from those who crave social approval or critical adulation. In a time when so many new and established Gay and erotic artists are trying to “tastefully tone it down,” Martin’s work stands apart as both fiercely creative and proudly uncompromised.

Though many in his home country are unfamiliar with his works, his impact on one of the most socially progressive countries in the world was profound. As the last individual in the Netherlands to be arrested and incarcerated for producing and distributing his own pornography in the 1950s and 60s , the civil rights ramifications of his multiple year imprisonment helped insure that the generations that followed were free from bias and bigotry hidden behind and inside all acts of censorship.

We here at TOM House send our most heart felt condolences to his partner and his family. To view more of his work, check out his web page.

Published: 13th June 2011

Categorised in: For the Record, Friends of Tom