Tom of Finland
TOM OF FINLAND "THE LEATHER BROTHERHOOD" LITHO, 1980
Tom of Finland (1920–1991), born Touko Laaksonen, was a Finnish artist whose iconic and highly stylized drawings transformed representations of gay male sexuality and masculinity.Â
His work emerged from the underground gay culture of the mid-20th century and became particularly associated with leather, motorcycle, military, and workwear aesthetics. His exaggerated physiques, were part pin-up, part comic-book hero, and were realized with meticulous line-work. Tom created an idealized fantasy world that completely subverted prevailing stereotypes of gay men. His imagery would become an important and enduring part of queer visual culture internationally.
"The Leather Brotherhood" depicts three muscular men in leather jackets, fitted denim, boots, and caps. Tom’s fascination with leather and biker culture was closely connected to the emerging gay leather scene, which in turn influenced his imagery. Rather than presenting bikers as something exclusively heterosexual, he appropriated its most recognizable symbols and recast them as expressions of queer desire and self-confidence.
The image belongs to a pivotal period in the artist's career. In 1980, he and Durk Dehner founded the Tom of Finland Company, establishing greater control over the production and distribution of his work in the United States. By this time, his imagery was increasingly circulating beyond underground publications and gay bars, contributing to a visual language that would become internationally recognizable.Â
During his lifetime there were only a handful of Tom of Finland signed prints. Today these rare but accessible works are highly sought-after on the secondary market.Â
Tom of Finland’s work is held and exhibited by major institutions internationally, including Kiasma in Helsinki, the Schwules Museum in Berlin, and the House of Illustration in London. His work has also been exhibited extensively in North America and Europe.
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"The Leather Brotherhood"
1980
Lithograph
Signed and numbered, lower edges
Edition: AP
13"H 17"W (visible)
21"H 25"W (framed)
Very good condition
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