TOM OF FINLAND XXL

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 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 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 world with the help of the Tom of Finland Foundation and features many drawings, paintings that have never been reproduced in any book. 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.