Exhibition extended in Stockholm till 10th January 2021

1st November 2020, 6:10 pm

Tom of Finland’s drawings leave no-one unaffected. Swelling muscles and genitals, extremely masculine and erotically confident men who enjoy sex together.

The photographs Tom took of friends and partners, to use as inspiration and reference-pictures for his world-famous homoerotic drawings, are now exhibited for the first time at Fotografiska. Curated by Berndt Arell, in cooperation with Fotografiska’s exhibition producer Jessica Jarl, The Darkroom is an exciting study in artist Tom of Finland’s (born Touko Laaksonen) life and work-process – something that originally took place in dark rooms. This year it’s 100 years since he was born, and once again there are forces trying to relegate homosexual desire into dark closets.

“Tom took the photographs in Los Angeles, with its great supply of attractive, well-built guys and the beautiful winter light. There is a closeness, in the images, to the ones portrayed – a sincerity in the eyes of both them and him. Two people meeting, a natural connection between them in confidence and warmth: something that doesn’t come across in the drawings, which are more anonymous, fetishist images. The Finnish Comics Society was the first Finnish organization to honor the artist in granting him the Puupäähattu in 1990, the most prestigious Finnish comics award: that was a big moment, and a testament to the power of his art”, Arell concludes.

Här hittar du Fotografiskas nya podcast. I serien “Ett samtal om” kommer du att få möta konstnärer, fotografer, tänkare och tyckare som samtalar tillsammans. Ibland på ytan, ibland bråddjupt, alltid på olika sätt om aktuella utställningar hos oss. Denna gång ses Mark Levengood, Tommie X och Philip Warkander för ett samtal om Tom of Finland. Vem var han? Hur kom det sig att hans erotiska machoteckningar blev konstkanon? Och vad har Toms figurer gemensamt med Tove Janssons mumintroll? Och är samtalet sponsrat av runksidan.se? Svaret finns i podden. Trevlig lyssning!

Here you will find Fotografiska’s new podcast. In the series “A conversation about” you will meet artists, photographers, thinkers and thinkers who talk together. Sometimes on the surface, sometimes deep, always in different ways about current exhibitions with us. This time, Mark Levengood, Tommie X and Philip Warkander are seen talking about Tom of Finland. Who was he? How did his erotic macho drawings become an art cannon? And what do Tom’s characters have in common with Tove Jansson’s moomin role? And is the conversation sponsored by runksidan.se? The answer is in the podcast. Nice listening!

“TOM OF FINLAND The Darkroom”

EXTENDED DATES Temporarily closed due to Covid-19 from 23rd November through 25th December. And it was to darkened places that gay people... View Article

“TOM OF FINLAND: The Official Life and Work of a Gay Hero” releases

Avant-garde, provocative, subversive and rebellious – Tom of Finland stamped history with his recognizable artistic style. A virtuoso of drawing, he fashioned the silhouette of a new Gay man... View Article

Published: 1st November 2020

Tags: #TOMs100, Berndt Arell, The Darkroom

Categorised in: Events