{"product_id":"sujetalibros-tom-of-finland-bookend-pekka","title":"SUJETALIBROS TOM OF FINLAND BOOKEND PEKKA","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__title\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlways ready to hold it all\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell-held books and a hidden pleasure revealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe festive, provocative, and hypermasculine drawings of Tom of Finland laid the foundation for a recognizable gay aesthetic throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. His characters, known as the “Tom men,” appeared in pen and ink illustrations and comics that helped challenge outdated stereotypes about desire, masculinity, and love between men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA “Tom man” is defined by his confidence, comfort with his sexual orientation, and above all, a strong physical presence: vigorous bodies, firm postures, and masculinity taken into the realm of graphic fantasy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Tom of Finland bookend, designed by Daffy London based on the artist’s original illustrations, pays tribute to one of his most iconic figures: Pekka, a sturdy Finnish worker with boots and a cap, whose name etymologically refers to stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available: Durk, one of the most recognizable leather figures in the Tom of Finland universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the artist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTouko Laaksonen, known worldwide as Tom of Finland (1920-1991), began drawing cartoons at the age of five. From a young age, he was drawn to the rugged and virile men of his native Finland, a masculine presence that would come to define his entire body of work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrained in art in Helsinki, he developed a professional career in the Finnish advertising industry while secretly continuing to create his erotic drawings of hypermasculine men. In 1957, he sent some of his illustrations to the American magazine \u003cem\u003ePhysique Pictorial\u003c\/em\u003e. There, the “Tom of Finland” signature was born, and the construction of one of the most influential images in 20th-century gay visual culture began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the late 1960s, his drawings had become a fundamental reference in gay art. The “Tom men” offered a new way to represent homosexual masculinity: confident, physical, desirous, and proud. His work continues to play an important role in building a positive, free, and affirming image within the gay community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom of Finland. Bookend Pekka\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePainted molded resin bookend, based on the original illustrations by Tom of Finland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: 34.5 cm\u003cbr\u003eBase: 15.2 x 15.2 cm\u003cbr\u003eWeight: 2.69 kg\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"TASCHEN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57533315711320,"sku":"SK-PEKK-THS","price":276.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/8464\/0856\/files\/BOOKENDS_TOM_OF_FINLAND_PEKKA_ED_NON_ADDON005_23332.jpg?v=1781785124","url":"https:\/\/www.plasticbooks.uk\/en\/products\/sujetalibros-tom-of-finland-bookend-pekka","provider":"Plastic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}