Tom of Finland
Rubber Stamp Bauble
£12
Bauble featuring a magazine advert for Tom of Finland mail-order rubber stamps, exclusive to House of Voltaire
Dimensions
8 cm diameter
Finishing
Screen printed white bauble
Tom of Finland, 'Untitled', 1962. From the Atlantic Model Guild 'The Tattooed Sailor' series. © 1962 Tom of Finland Foundation.Courtesy the Tom of Finland Foundation
About The Artwork
With few copyright protections, Tom of Finland’s images were frequently pirated. In response, the artist established the Tom of Finland Company with Durk Dehner in 1979 to protect his rights and publish his work, producing a wide range of associated merchandise, including t-shirts, rubber stamps and even sex toys. The bauble features a banner of drawings Tom produced as stamp designs that he sold via mail order.
About Tom of Finland
Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, 1920-1991) is recognised for his ground-breaking representation of the male figure. A master draughtsman, Tom’s passion for both his medium and his subject matter enabled him to become a powerful cultural force. Tom gave form to an imaginative universe that, in turn, helped fuel real-world liberation movements and enabled gay men to access their strength in new ways. Tom’s drawings reaffirm the centrality of sexuality, joy, and the body in all areas of human endeavour.
In recent years there has been a significant re-evaluation of his artistic practice. Previously somewhat dismissed as only of gay interest, his work has since been exhibited in galleries and public institutions (David Kordansky, LA; ICA, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Artists Space, New York). His work is in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki; Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.