The Man on the Finnish Stamp:
Aarno Nurmi

TOM OF FINLAND (Touko Laaksonen, Finnish, 1920 – 1991),
Untitled (Aarno), 1976, Silver gelatin print, ToFF #9073, © 1976 Tom of Finland Foundation

Finland is preparing to release stamps with Tom of Finland's artwork. But who was the model used for these drawings?

Aarno Nurmi was Tom of Finland’s all-time favorite Finnish model. He lived in Finland as a young man, but like Touko, Aarno found opportunities and then moved to New York.

". . .Tom decided to use another one of his longtime modeling buddies Aarno as the prototype for Pekka. Aarno, a happy-go-lucky exhibitionist, had a grand time playing the role, dressing up in breeches, boots, and hat for Tom to photograph. . ."

Tom of Finland – Life and Work of a Gay Hero
by F. Valentine Hooven III

More on TOM's Blog

Tom Cho:
Tom and Me

TOM OF FINLAND (Touko Laaksonen, Finnish, 1920 – 1991),
“TOM’s Marine”, 1984, Graphite on paper, 13” x 9.5”, ToFF #84.27, © 1984 Tom of Finland Foundation

Tom Cho is the author of Look Who’s Morphing, a collection of fictions published this month by Arsenal Pulp Press. Look Who’s Morphing launched on April 29 at Story Planet in Toronto. Cho will be guest editing The Afterword all this week. In part one of this two-part piece, Cho discusses the work of renowned gay artist Tom of Finland, and his own work.

"His birthday was May 8, but his birth name was not “Tom.” “Tom” was the name that he acquired in his 30s and under which he became best known for his art. He took selected figures that had been reserved for the heterosexual imagination and he recast them in his own works, where they were re-imagined in scenes of irrepressible fantasy. He also had a size fetish – or at least, that’s what the depictions of gigantism in his work seemed to suggest.

"I speak here of the artist Tom of Finland (1920-1991), but also of me. I guess it’s a presumptuous parallel, this admittedly fanboy-fuelled correlation that I’ve already begun to draw between Tom of Finland, whose self-described “dirty drawings” had a pioneering influence on post-war gay male culture (and gay male leather culture especially), and Tom Cho, a fiction writer with just one book-length work to his name so far. But then, like Tom of Finland, I enjoy bringing embellishment to the page."

More on Tom Cho: Tom and Me Part 1 on TOM's Blog
More on Tom Cho: Tom and Me Part 2 on TOM's Blog

Time To Renew?
Check Your Membership Cards

Over the years ToFF has remained the foremost erotic art organization across the globe. Without your contribution we could not make the future of the Foundation possible and appreciate your continued support. Your membership allows us to maintain a commitment to protect, preserve, and promote erotic art.

As a Member you are helping us promote both emerging and established erotic artists. A few of the exhibitions include The Mutable Portrait , Tilt, Ménage Men, Less Than 10”, as well as exhibitions featuring George Towne, John Williams, Jeremy Lucido, Fernando Carpaneda, Michael Kirwan, REX, and Herb Ritts. Tom of Finland’s work continues to be seen coast to coast in the U.S. and across the globe. In the center of Stockholm, TOM’s art was featured in a retrospective welcomed at their cultural center.

There are new titles on TOM including a beautiful anthology of the artist: TOM OF FINLAND – Life and Work of a Gay Hero. ToFF continues to supply publishers and producers with high quality images and accurate information about TOM and frequently presents new artists for different projects.

TOM was a founder of MSC Finland, a club for leather, rubber and biker guys. Your membership also supports Leather fraternities and contests, both local and international and allows us to have a presence at events such as San Diego Pride and Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles home and headquarters of ToFF, “TOM House”, is approaching 100 years old. Your contribution will help us maintain this cultural monument as we continue to expand our educational and philanthropic efforts to include an artist exchange program with Finland. As you can imagine, your support goes a long way and we hope we can count on you to renew your membership or upgrade to another membership level. Remember, your contributions are considered tax-deductible. We are grateful for your help in the past and we look forward to growing our relationship in the future!

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