Tom of Finland XXL [Hardcover]

John Waters (Author), Edward Lucie-Smith (Author), Armistead Maupin (Author), Todd Oldham (Author), Camille Paglia (Author), Dian Hanson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

In 1998, TASCHEN introduced the world to the masterful art of Touko Laaksonen with The Art of Pleasure. Prior to that, Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, enjoyed an intense cult following in the international gay community but was largely unknown to the broader audience. The Art of Pleasure gave Tom well-deserved recognition and increased his following exponentially; Tom of Finland XXL will fix him forever in the realm of fine art.

With dimensions of 29 by 40.5cm and 704 pages, Tom of Finland XXL contains nearly 1000 images, covering 6 decades of the artist's career. The work was gathered from all known collections across the US and Europe with the help of the Tom of Finland Foundation and features many drawings, paintings and preparatory sketches that have never been reproduced in any book. Other images have only been seen out of context and will be presented here in the sequential order Tom intended for full artistic appreciation and erotic impact. This elegant oversized volume will showcase the full range of Tom's talent, from sensitive portraits to frank sexual pleasure to tender expressions of love to Tom's haunting tributes to young men struck down by the AIDS epidemic.

Completing this collector's edition are eight specially-commissioned essays on Tom's social and personal impact by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, Todd Oldham, and others, plus a scholarly analysis of individual drawings by art historian Edward Lucie-Smith. For the man or woman who thinks bigger is better, Tom of Finland XXL is certain to satisfy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

About the editor:
Dian Hanson was born in Seattle in 1951. She has been TASCHEN's sexy book editor since 2001. Prior to that she worked for 25 years making men's magazines, including Puritan, OUI, Outlaw Biker, Juggs, and Leg Show. Her many books for TASCHEN include The Complete Kake Comics and The Big Penis Book. She lives in Los Angeles.

About the authors:
Edward Lucie-Smith was born in 1933 in Kingston, Jamaica, and schooled at Oxford. He has published over 100 books, including Sexuality in Western Art and Latin American Art of the 20th Century. He lives in London and travels extensively.

Armistead Maupin launched his fictive Tales of the City serial in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1976, later released as a six-volume series of novels, three of which were produced as miniseries for television. He lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.

Todd Oldham's studio is a multifaceted design studio for film, photography, furniture, interior décor, books, and even floral arrangements. He lives in New York City and in eastern Pennsylvania with his partner, Tony Longoria.

Camille Anna Paglia is the author of five books, including Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson, her groundbreaking analysis of sexual ambiguity in art and literature. Paglia is currently University Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her partner, Alison Maddex.

John Waters was born in 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland, and briefly attended New York University. He made his first film, Hag in a Black Leather Jacket, in 1964, and has since directed 16 others, including Pink Flamingos, Polyester, Hairspray, and Pecker. He lives in Baltimore.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 668 pages
• Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822826073
• ISBN-13: 978-3822826072
• Product Dimensions: 18.3 x 13 x 3.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book big enough enough to answer all the complaints about earlier collections!!!, April 3, 2009

By 

William Norton (Hollywood, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tom of Finland XXL (Hardcover)

I have a majority of the earlier TOF collections. The most universal complaint has always been "Its too small", with the exception of the 1st printing of the "Art of Pleasure" this was the subjective case.

Now the largest collection ever has been printed in the largest format ever. Pardon the cliche, but if you must buy one TOF collection, this would be the one. True to the liner notes, it contains many never published works as well as lager repros of well known works. Paper quality and binding are above average.

When you receive your book you will get it shrink wrapped in a stylish cardboard case, with artwork on the outside of the case itself. Also of note the illustration on the dust jacket is raised and textured to match the musculature of the figure, a nice plus. Amazon has the best pricing on this. I was in a retail outlet the other day and saw the same book for $200.

The price is hefty, but once you receive your copy you can see that it is well worth it.

On a final note, based on my experience, these over-sized editions tend to get downsized and cheapened on the second printing. If you want all the extras like the sculpted dust jacket and carrying case buy the 1st edition before it sells out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tuoko Laaksonen honored in the realm of fine art - Finally!, November 22, 2009

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tom of Finland XXL (Hardcover)

Tuoko Laaksonen (1920 - 1991) may have enjoyed worldwide fame as Tom of Finland during his lifetime, his fame due largely to an extensive following of those who praised his courage to paint and draw what he wanted to paint and draw rather than keeping his talent for figurative work in the dark corners of only certain bookstores. Now, thanks in large part to this very fine tome edited by Dian Hanson, the general public can appreciate the fact that not only did he appeal to a specific audience; he can now be seen as an exceptionally gifted draughtsman and artist.

Laaksonen/Tom of Finland restricted his output to figurative works that highlighted massively macho males in all manner of situations. While his work is erotically charged it always retains a brilliant sense of humor and parody: he celebrated his audience by saying it is not only OK to enjoy these works, it is also OK to see the humor in the distortion of fantasies. Many of these works in this exhaustive volume are well known, having been reproduced many times in literature and in galleries, but for the connoisseur there are unpublished works here, many of which show a more tender side to the artist. Hanson has the good idea of presenting these works of art in chronological order - another way of examining public acceptance of the artist's works - and the chapters covering sixty years of his output are arranged by decades, the Forties through the Eighties. Another fortunate aspect of this massive book is the decision to include essays and commentaries by such important writers as Edward Lucie-Smith, Armistead Maupin, John Waters, Todd Oldham and Camille Paglia.

This is a long awaited volume that places an underground artist in the same echelon with other contemporary figurative painters. It is a beautifully produced, edited, written and illustrated homage to an artist who is now recognized for his talent not only as an artist, but also as a spokesman for human rights! Grady Harp, November 09

22 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Coulda been a contender, April 29, 2009

By 

Berkeley Webster (NY NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom of Finland XXL (Hardcover)

As I've shared with the editor(and the Foundation, who obviously had some yea/nay approval), this should have been(and at such a price), the definitive edition of the work - start to finish. Instead, the editor's preference for 'white space,' and a 'look how clever I am' design style, sadly dimishes the overall effect. Rather than a specific, h-core, chronical of Tom's life & times, it's instead a thoughtless disrepect (and regard) for the viewer; re-publishing material already in the Tashen catalog, while some images, rare & obscure, are reproduced as postage stamps. Tashen is richer for my purchase, perhaps you may want to rethink yours.