Erotic ART FAIR 17th Annual NANCY PEACH FRED CHUANG CHRIS LOPEZ STASIU A. J. EPSTEIN WIM GRIFFITH City of West Hollywood City of West Hollywood California 1984 California 1984 CITY OF WEST CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD LESBIAN & GAY ADVISORY BOARD Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park Saturday, September 29, 2012 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, 1:00 - 7:00 PM West Hollywood, CA 90046 Symposium: 3:00 – 4:00 PM The Making of a “Gay Hero” Life Drawing Workshops both days. Contributors to the new anthology from Bruno Gmünder SPEAKERS: F. ValentineHoovan, III and S. R. Sharp Opening Ceremonies: Saturday 2:30 PM With the Honorable Jeffrey Prang, Mayor of the City Sunday, September 30, 2012 of West Hollywood; the Honorable Kirsti Westphalen, Noon - 6:00 PM Consul General of Finland; Durk Dehner, President Symposium: 3:00 – 4:30 PM From Segment to Supreme: Bent-Con Comes of Age and Cofounder Tom of Finland Foundation; LGBT interest in comic books, movies and games. and Pete Finland, ToFF Advisory Board Member. SPEAKERS: Jody Wheeler and Sean Holman The Foundation has produced Erotic Art Fairs in Los Angeles since 1995 The Foundation has a roster of 26 art fairs in its history. Presently, we produce the West Hollywood / LA annual Erotic Art Fair during the last weekend in September, bringing together artists from around the world. LIFE AND WORK OF A GAY HERO from Bruno Gmünder Verlag GmbH by F. Valentine Hooven, III Meet the Author at the Fair Tom of Finland – Life and Work of a Gay Hero traces Tom’s life and work from his childhood and student days in Finland, through his suc- cessful career in advertising and his rise to cult status in the international Gay community and beyond. Lushly illustrated with his draw- ings and seldom-seen photographs, this vol- ume brings to life Tom of Finland – the man, the artist, the icon. With this book the author set out to present all the elements of Tom and his work; empha- sizing how he was not just an artist with the uncanny ability to turn a Gay man on, but to subtly and consistently show him how to be a proud, happy and sexy man. CONTACT INFORMATION The American launch of this new anthology Tom of Finland Foundation 1421 Laveta Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90026 takes place at Tom of Finland Foundation’s 213.250.1685 West Hollywood – Los Angeles Erotic Art Fair Email: [email protected] Weekend. Hooven will be here both days to www.TomOfFinlandFoundation.org discuss and autograph the book. A 501(c)(3) Educational Archive Artists Represented Works Available for the Collector at the from the Foundation Tom of Finland Foundation The Foundation has a number of works that we offer for sale that are not part of our Permanent Gallery Collection. Some have been put in our custody to sell on behalf of artists from around the world, oth- ers have been donated to the Foundation so that Goh Mishima Tank we might profit from them, and an assortment has come from those who have willed their estates for Patrick Lee Manflesh the financial betterment of ToFF. Nigel Kent Greasetank Expressly for this Fair, ToFF is offering a newly released selection of preliminary sketches by Tom Teddy of Paris Domino of Finland — some having Tom’s signature, others Etienne The Hun not — all with a Certificate of Authenticity. Please take the time to view the many portfolios Bastille Roger Payne we have here at the Art Fair representing artists Jakal Sean Platter unable to attend. You can also schedule a visit to Tom of Finland the Foundation’s headquarters in Echo Park, TOM Gorilla House, to view our entire collection of works for Olaf and more sale. WORLD OF TOM’s Blog is THE place to find out about Tom’s cur- TOM OF FINLAND rent exhibitions, merchandis- ing, and current affairs in the erotic arts – a place to chat Erotic Art and share your ideas. in Galleries, News and Events WorldOfTomofFinland.com/ WorldOfTomOfFinland.com TomsBlog/ Celebrating the Artists of Our Erotic Art Fair Supporting ourselves through the support of our Artists Our tribe is defined by one main element: Our back in time, is our ability to include our sexual- sexuality. We portray our nature in the visual arts ity in who we are as a people. Prior to the AIDS and celebrate our love and desire for each other pandemic ravaging our communities, we were through this expression. making inroads in being perceived as whole, Almost thirty years of determined fortitude, and sexually integrated beings. Sensual expressions many accomplishments as a respected education- are a celebration of the beauty it is to be human. al arts organization, have allowed acceptance of Society has had enormous difficulties in accept- Tom of Finland Foundation into broader culture. ing their own sexuality in art, so it stands to reason The acceptability of Queers has never been they will have the same with ours. We have had more in favor, we are now at a new juncture. Yet, some serious situations arise of late that demon- as we meld into the larger homogenous popu- strate how the general population still does not lace, there are symbols of our culture that can be comprehend what our art embodies. left behind unless we – as a community – mandate These artists who are exhibiting at this that all of who we are comes along with us. That Art Fair are our own shamans – our spiritual is the expression of our uniqueness. medicine-men – who are laying down our own Our artists tell the stories of who we are, where petroglyphs. As a people of dignity, we honor and we have been and where we are going. One respect our artists and receive and cherish their of our main attributes as Queers, which dates offerings. TOM of FINLAND’S Nordic Gods: Men of the Forest Touko Laaksonen Was Born in the Spring of 1920 and Became Tom of Finland in the Spring of 1957 Tom set the proud love of man-by-man in full Speaking at a fundraiser acknowledging the motion. In 2,000 years, no one has produced acceptance of five Tom of Finland’s into the per- such remarkable changes in worldview with such a manent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in simple message: Gay = Good. New York, Harvey S. Shipley Miller, Trustee of The Aware of what society had denied Homosexuals, Judith Rothschild Foundation, stated: Tom of Finland went about liberating an entire class “Tom of Finland was one of most influential art- of people by returning to them what was always ists of the 20th century. He drew in values, as an art- rightfully theirs. ist superb, as an influence “I wanted to show transcendent. What he did Gays they can feel happy was open the doorway, together. I wanted to tell the path for so many to them they have a right to follow by not being afraid enjoy life in their way – of Homoerotic subject Gays being together feel- matter and also the way ing happy, being proud of it was treated. His influ- who they are.” ence transcended into the Men knew instinctively culture and became part that Tom drew with them in of it.” mind. He gave them new We see it in fash- male identities from which ion from the designs of they could choose, not Tom Ford and Jean Paul ones prescribed to them Gaultier to the styling by society. He wanted boys and content of work by to grow up healthy and Bruce Weber. It can be strong, both physically and found in the presentations mentally. He saw them as of Freddy Mercury, Rob whole and complete — Halford of Judas Priest, pure and sound as the Village People, Frankie Finnish spirit. Goes to Hollywood and Tom, the great liberator, Adam Ant. In cinema with wanted to break the old Kenneth Anger and Rainer cycles of poor self-esteem Fassbinder to Al Pacino or self-loathing that result- TOM OF FINLAND (Finnish, 1920 – 1991) in Crusing. His influence ed from centuries of reli- Nordic God (From Men of the Forest series), 1969 is clearly seen in Robert gious-based discrimination Graphite on paper, 11.50” x 8.00” Mapplethorpe’s work and and outcasting. He wished ToFF Permanent Collection #69.11 that of Pierre et Gilles and © 1969 Tom of Finland Foundation to release the shackles that Juan Davila. It can also held all who were sexually oppressed, especially be felt in California artists Richard Hawkins and his brothers who had never been granted full man- Mike Kelley. hood. Curators recognized the enormous influence “With purpose I wanted to influence Gays, to of Tom’s work had in the creation and develop- change their opinion of themselves. I also wanted to ment of what came to be known as the “California influence Straight people so they could understand gym culture,” and included Tom’s work in the Los and accept the beauty and rights that Gay people Angeles County Museum of Art’s exhibition, Made should have.” in California 1900-2000. When Homosexuals were considered pansies “I have arrived at the bastion of freedom,” said and poufs at best, or mentally ill perverts eroding contemporary French photographer, Rachel Laurent, the moral fiber of society at worst, Tom was at work on a visit to Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard’s creating archetypes of healthy, masculine men who opening of a Tom of Finland retrospective in Paris. participate together freely, out-of-doors, in broad “Displayed here are the works of a man that didn’t daylight — a decree given unto them from Mother cower or inhibit himself in his expression of what Nature herself.