Your Voices

I was influenced by Tom before even knew who he was. When I was 13, I did a drawing of my favorite character in the village people, the leather daddy. I still have this drawing. What I came to find out as an adult was that this archetype was made popular by an artist called Tom of Finland. A friend gifted me a book called “Tom of Finland retrospective” in 1991. Shortly after I went online and signed up for the TOFF mailing list.

After moving to Southern California in 2016, to attend graduate school, I went to a drawing event at the Tom of Finland foundation. I felt very at home and very welcome as well as very excited to be surrounded by original drawings by my idol. I was then invited to participate in the arts Festival that went on that fall. After looking at some of my work, Marc Ransdell Bellenger (TOFF curator) invited me to have a solo show at the foundation. I then met Rinaldo Hopf and modeled for him and in the Pleasure Garden of the foundation. I then had some work included in a book that Renaldo created called Mein Lesbisches Auge. The theme of this annual publication was work influenced by Tom of Finland. In April 2018, Marc and TOFF curated a show at the Museum of modern Art Detroit called “Tom House, The Work and Life of Tom of Finland.” The show featured many original drawings by Tom as well as contemporary artists whose work is very influenced by Tom. My painting Folsom was included in the show. In 2021 I received a lifetime award from ToFF.

What has always attracted me to Tom’s art is his unapologetic way of drawing masculine characters. As a non-binary butch dyke, I can appreciate this. Not having seen many positive reflections of myself or others like me, in mainstream media, I’ve often turn to Tom’s art as a safe space to explore my own sexuality. His bravery has given me the freedom to create art that represents and explores, who I am and my interior life.

Sir Durk Dehner was the founder and president of the Tom of Finland Foundation and Knight of the order of the Lion of Finland. He is a hero to many artist, having used his role as president to help promote and support gay edgy erotic art. With out him, we may never have known “Tom of Finland.”

Durk is not perfect but who is? What might've been a sign of rebellion 20 years ago might be frowned upon now. In 20 years from now what we see as progressive and correct might be seen as censorship and restrictive. I fear that when we look back upon our time now, we will see that we were living in a Panopticon and afraid to speak of our desire due to fear of being canceled. What are we losing by not giving room to fuck up in our community? Do we just ostracized those who have given so much? Or do we show grace in forgiveness.