Tom of Finland
Tom of Finland | |
|---|---|
Laaksonen c. 1959 | |
| Born | Touko Valio Laaksonen 8 May 1920 Kaarina, Finland |
| Died | 7 November 1991 (aged 71) Helsinki, Finland |
| Known for | Erotic illustration |
| Awards | Puupäähattu Prize (The Finnish Comics Society, 1990) |
| Signature | |
| Website | www |
Touko Valio Laaksonen (8 May 1920 – 7 November 1991), known by the pseudonym Tom of Finland, was a Finnish artist who made stylized highly masculinized erotic art, and influenced late 20th-century gay culture. He has been called the "most influential creator of gay pornographic images" by cultural historian Joseph W. Slade. Over the course of four decades, he produced some 3,500 illustrations, mostly featuring men with exaggerated sexual traits, wearing tight or partially removed clothing.