Tom of Finland XXL [Hardcover]

I have a majority of the earlier TOF collections. The most universal complaint has always been "Its too small", with the exception of the 1st printing of the "Art of Pleasure" this was the subjective case.

Now the largest collection ever has been printed in the largest format ever. Pardon the cliche, but if you must buy one TOF collection, this would be the one. True to the liner notes, it contains many never published works as well as lager repros of well known works. Paper quality and binding are above average.

When you receive your book you will get it shrink wrapped in a stylish cardboard case, with artwork on the outside of the case itself. Also of note the illustration on the dust jacket is raised and textured to match the musculature of the figure, a nice plus. Amazon has the best pricing on this. I was in a retail outlet the other day and saw the same book for $200.

The price is hefty, but once you receive your copy you can see that it is well worth it.

On a final note, based on my experience, these over-sized editions tend to get downsized and cheapened on the second printing. If you want all the extras like the sculpted dust jacket and carrying case buy the 1st edition before it sells out.

Tuoko Laaksonen (1920 - 1991) may have enjoyed worldwide fame as Tom of Finland during his lifetime, his fame due largely to an extensive following of those who praised his courage to paint and draw what he wanted to paint and draw rather than keeping his talent for figurative work in the dark corners of only certain bookstores. Now, thanks in large part to this very fine tome edited by Dian Hanson, the general public can appreciate the fact that not only did he appeal to a specific audience; he can now be seen as an exceptionally gifted draughtsman and artist.

Laaksonen/Tom of Finland restricted his output to figurative works that highlighted massively macho males in all manner of situations. While his work is erotically charged it always retains a brilliant sense of humor and parody: he celebrated his audience by saying it is not only OK to enjoy these works, it is also OK to see the humor in the distortion of fantasies. Many of these works in this exhaustive volume are well known, having been reproduced many times in literature and in galleries, but for the connoisseur there are unpublished works here, many of which show a more tender side to the artist. Hanson has the good idea of presenting these works of art in chronological order - another way of examining public acceptance of the artist's works - and the chapters covering sixty years of his output are arranged by decades, the Forties through the Eighties. Another fortunate aspect of this massive book is the decision to include essays and commentaries by such important writers as Edward Lucie-Smith, Armistead Maupin, John Waters, Todd Oldham and Camille Paglia.

This is a long awaited volume that places an underground artist in the same echelon with other contemporary figurative painters. It is a beautifully produced, edited, written and illustrated homage to an artist who is now recognized for his talent not only as an artist, but also as a spokesman for human rights! Grady Harp, November 09

As I've shared with the editor(and the Foundation, who obviously had some yea/nay approval), this should have been(and at such a price), the definitive edition of the work - start to finish. Instead, the editor's preference for 'white space,' and a 'look how clever I am' design style, sadly dimishes the overall effect. Rather than a specific, h-core, chronical of Tom's life & times, it's instead a thoughtless disrepect (and regard) for the viewer; re-publishing material already in the Tashen catalog, while some images, rare & obscure, are reproduced as postage stamps. Tashen is richer for my purchase, perhaps you may want to rethink yours.