European History : Tom of Finland XXL
Private Moments, Bel Ami | 
 | 100% Recommended by our customers.
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Manufacturer: TASCHEN America Llc
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List Price: $200.00
Our Price: $134.99
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great reproductions
Others may complain about some small pictures in the book - what should be mentioned is the exquisite quality of the larger reproductions, the bulk. Every pencil stroke can be seen!
I've only received the book yesterday, but a quick look through reveals some oddities in the text. Why devote a chapter to 'Tom's women' when they are really insignificant.
Why not devote an article on piracy of Tom's work, the illegal albums, which bothered Tom. Armistead Maupin's article on one fetish is the only light-hearted article.
It is a book by American authors, so Tom became famous because be became famous in the U.S. There is one mention of 'a Swedish publisher', unnamed. In fact it was Michael Holm of Revolt Press who was instrumental in making Tom famous in Europe, and those Kake albums were originally a European thing also.
The book, it says, is printed in Italy, all 20 lbs of it. Why we should pay more for it in Europe than in America, is beyond me.
Now, eventually you want it in your bookcase. It's way too large!
XXL FUN
Brand spanking new and in excellent shape.
Actually arrived earlier than expected!!
Smoothe.
Tuoko Laaksonen honored in the realm of fine art - Finally!
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
the best book ever
I PURCHASED THIS FOR A CHRISTMAS PRESENT ITS AWSOME......THE BEST EVER THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SO GREAT THEY DEPICT THE BEST OF THE ARTIST.........FANTASTIC WORK............... RICCO
Great
It's great, except it doesn't fit on my bookshelf...
But maybe that makes it even better!
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