AnewperspectiveonTomofFinland,documentinghisformativeyearsin1970sHamburgAlthoughTomofFinland’siconicportrayalsofsensualandpowerfulcowboys,farmhands,soldiersandleathermenarecloselyassociatedwithAmericanculture,itwasinearly1970sHamburgthattheartistfirstfoundfame.Thereheformedimportantfriendshipswithvariousprotagonistsofthecity’sgayculture;hisfirsteverexhibitionwasinHamburg;andheevencreatedagrandmuralforthelegendaryTom’sBar,whichremainstheonlybarlegitimatelynamedaftertheartist.RegularcommissionstodesignpostersandadsforgayeventsinHamburgallowedhimtoquithisdayjobasadvertisingexecutiveandlaunchhisartisticcareer,whichledtothecreationofthemostextensiveprivatecollectionofhisdrawingstodate.Thiscomprehensivepublicationdelvesintotheseseminalbutunder-researchedyears,documentingTomofFinland’sartandfriendshipsfromthistime.Alongsidearound150illustrationsandwellresearchedtexts,thebookincludesafacsimileoftheartist’s1955traveldiaryinGermany.ToukoValioLaaksonen(1920-91),bestknownbyhispseudonymTomofFinland,isthemostfamousandinfluentialFinnishartistofthe20thcentury.Hisdepictionsofself-confidentandlife-affirmingsexualityhavehelpeddefinegayiconographyinthepostwarera.
