Tom of Finland Foundation
The non-profit, international art foundation Tom of Finland Foundation (founded in 1984 with headquarters in Los Angeles ) promotes the memory of the Finnish draftsman Touko Laaksonen alias Tom of Finland and operates a worldwide, non-commercial artist archive on the subject of eroticism .
Structure and tasks
The American art foundation Tom of Finland Foundation (ToFF) was founded in 1984 by Durk Dehner and Tom of Finland in Silver Lake (Los Angeles) , California , and is now two-pronged:
It protects, preserves and promotes the work of the Finnish artist and operates one of the world's largest artist archives on the subject of erotic art .
Keepsake of ToF
Tom of Finland was not just any draftsman, he had a very significant impact on the art , self-confidence and fashion of the following generations . World stars like Robert Mapplethorpe , Andy Warhol , Peter Berlin explicitly referred to his influence .
Examples from Tom of Finland's work are exhibited in well-known museums (for example the Chicago Institute of Modern Art , the MoMA in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Kiasma in Helsinki).
The foundation looks after the artist's memory and administers the estate with thousands of works (sketches, drawings). A specified part of the signed originals is intended for sale in order to generate additional foundation capital.
Artist archive
In its function as an international, non-commercial artist archive, the ToFF Foundation is a recognized network organization for creative people across the globe. For women and men of all ages, races and sexualities. And for all conceivable media (painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, computer animation, performance).
The extensive archive in LA documents the work of these very different artists, helps with exhibitions, organizes art festivals and trade fairs, offers courses and panel discussions, provides support on legal and social issues, organizes competitions, awards prizes and awards.
Foundation goal
The ToFF sees the establishment of a “Museum of Erotic Art” with an international focus and based in America as a long-term goal. This independent museum for erotic art will then show a high quality, representative cross section of all erotic art styles in a permanent exhibition. We are looking for supporters from all over the world for this project.
The extensive life work of Tom of Finlands is to be made accessible to a broad public, for which short and long-term, periodic or permanent exhibition opportunities at home and abroad are sought.
Current
Taschen-Verlag published the heavy and extremely large-format volume "Tom Of Finland XXL - Complete Works" by Dian Hanson in 2009, 46.5 × 33.8 × 8.4 cm, ISBN 978-3822826072 .
The foundation's board of directors is responsible for a homepage with basic information. In addition, the foundation publishes the free publication “ToF Dispatch” on current events and exhibitions every quarter.
In terms of copyright infringement, the non-profit organization initially focused on the North American continent. As part of an internationalization initiative, the German photographer Henning von Berg was officially appointed "Foundation Liaison" (consultant, contact person) for Germany / Europe by President Durk Dehner and the Foundation Board in autumn 2006.
The foundation encourages students of art history and art history to write specialist works about the artist and his work. There is extensive material, access to originals is possible, and the abundance of the complete works is well documented.
German artists are free to contact Henning von Berg to either evaluate their work in the annual “Emerging Erotic Artist” competition or to have it documented in the non-commercial ToFF archive in LA.
Those interested in art can add valuable ToF exhibits to their private collection at public auctions or through direct contact.
We also welcome patrons who want to make their own collection accessible to a global public as a loan / gift.
European curators and gallery owners are invited to submit their exhibition proposals. After a highly acclaimed exhibition in France, a selection of 110 important exhibits curated by Durk Dehner and Henning von Berg is in an art warehouse in Paris and is waiting for another public presentation in Europe.