Tom of Finland
An Imaginary Sketchbook

Through his iconic images, Tom of Finland almost single-handedly changed the way gay men were perceived by society, and—maybe even more importantly—how gay men perceived themselves. The massive oeuvre that he produced over the course of a career spanning nearly six decades is devoted almost entirely to men, their bodies, and their spirits. This extraordinary consistency in subject-matter was matched by a life-long passion for the supreme discipline of freehand drawing.

Drawing, it seems, was an exercise for his restless imagination and desire. Tom’s world was populated by cowboys, mechanics, cops, punks and thugs, all indulging their desires with great camaraderie and without guilt or prejudice. This book assembles a cross-section of these characters as dreamt up by the artist in rough sketches or more carefully executed studies. Mostly they served as preliminary drawings for the highly finished works, many of which were intended for publication. The playful format of an imaginary sketch book lets the viewer take an intimate glance over the artist’s shoulder and share in his exuberant joie de vivre.

Published by Skira in 2022
Softcover
128 pages
ISBN 9788857246512