After weeding the leather collection (2 closets full) and finally establishing a cabinet where I can store only Tom stuff, I'm up to about 70 hrs out of 140 (if not more). I keep putting off designing an accession form because everything I come across is so very different but I need to do it this week so I have time for feedback from peers and my professor.
I've been nagging Wiki about needing more towels and finally cleared out enough space to get to the closet where they were. Of course they were Tom of Finland towels that I've never even seen before, not even at the Foundation! I can't use these in good conscience (though he tells me we have a whole box of them in storage). This means I have to go to IKEA- again, ugh. At least the bus leaves from in front of the Kiasma (the contemporary art museum). Anyhow, the other exciting news is that last night we went to dinner at the home of Juha and Kari, a lovely couple who have been together for 29 years. They were very dear friends of Tom's.
We had so much fun and the food was beautiful. Fish, potatoes, reindeer, pasha (Hungarian desert that blew my mind) and fine wines.
They brought out some of their photo albums which have pics of Tom that have not been scanned. I don't even know if our Foundation president knows they exist. Tom was modest and didn't like having his picture taken, but these are especially nice because they're so natural, just him goofing off with his friends. Juha and Kari also have a box of slides associated with Tom and a Tom of Finland original drawing that was done of Juha. They are going to bring out the other items for me to go through soon and they will be lending me the photo albums to scan. I'm working on getting our scanner set up today. I'm also going to be interviewing them but Juha says we must do this in Finnish, otherwise he won't be able to express himself properly. I'm starting lessons this fall, but sheesh that's not a language one learns over night!
Lastly they had an original work by an artist named Veikko Lundstrom. He is an artist that I had not heard of but was a good friend of Tom's and made a lot of leather for the gay community in Finland. He also did some amazing art such as wall hangings and flowers all made from leather. I'd really like to document his work and learn more about him so that I can share it with the Leather Archives & Museum (I'll be interning there this year). Wiki says Veikkos's (who is deceased) best friend works on the Viking line- the ship we take to go to Estonia. This man may be able to provide some art for me to bring the the L A & M and also some history on both Tom and Veikkos.
Allison...you very lucky lady! I just started following your blog, and I must say, you are the envy of many a man in this world. Ironic, to say the least, that a young heterosexual woman and her boyfriend would be so instrumental in this chapter of the keeping of Tom's artistic legacy.
ReplyDeleteI started out as a volunteer archivist with the TOF back in 1986-87. I had met Tom at an autographing at the old Book Circus, in WeHo, and had presented him with my bold idea of creating a documentary on him and his art. In his usual shy manner, he politely passed me on to Durk D., and after a brief period of trying to make sense of all the neg's and slides of Tom's work, I began capturing many of Tom's original sketches on 3/4" video tape, and interviewing him about his life. The end result was 'Boots, Biceps & Bulges - The Life and Works of Tom of Finland'.
Having the distinction of being Tom's first documentarian will be a life-long honor. Then, Tom was yet creating, and still making personal appearances. But that would end soon, and he would become as immortal as his art. I wish 'Boots...' was more widely available. But its uniqueness and rather humble guilelessness was soon eclipsed by 'Daddy and the Muscle Academy', a much slicker, and higher-budgeted work by Finnish TV. Oh well...first will always be first. And the honor of knowing and working with Tom, remains undiminished by time.
Hi Thor!
ReplyDeleteI've seen Boots Biceps and Bulges. Actually one of the first things Durk wanted me to do when I began as a volunteer was watch that AND Daddy. So, though it's not as highly produced it's still valued and I actually find the lesser known art, videos etc at the Foundation to be the greatest gems of all. Your video is extremely important and I'd like to see copies of it in art school libraries for students to access. I'd also like to have a copy for our project here in Finland which is to open a Tom Museum.
Have you considered putting it up on youtube? Have you converted it to DVD format or is it on a hard drive? I hope it exists somewhere other than on VHS because those don't last. If not let me know and we can work on this with our volunteer AV conservationist (nice young man I met through CalArts).
What city are you in? I'd really like to interview you someday.
Anyhow great to "meet you". Let's stay in touch!!