XR Goes Behind the Scenes at the Tom of Finland Tom House Book Release Party
XR had another historic weekend with the Tom of Finland folks, this time celebrating the official release of “Tom House,” a new book that takes fans behind the scenes of the legendary abode of famed artist Touko Laaksonen – aka Tom of Finland. Released by Rizzoli New York, “Tom House” showcases the incredibly unique interior design and décor of the legendary erotic artist’s Los Angeles home – and the XR team was there for a special media tour Saturday, March 12.
The evening was ignited at David Kordansky Gallery, where Kordansky, “Tom House” author Michael Reynolds, contributor Mayer Rus, and Tom of Finland Foundation’s Durk Dehner invited Los Angeles to a book signing and sneak preview. Surrounded by illustrations, photography by the renowned Martyn Thompson, and a who’s who of the art and erotica worlds, attendees were exposed to a selection of rarely seen preparatory sketches and unfinished drawings.
This unique opportunity gave Tom of Finland fans a special invitation into a part of the historic artist’s world that, until now, had remained relatively hidden. This raw and unapologetic view of Tom of Finland’s legacy enabled an even deeper intimate connection between the artist and the myriad people whose lives he and his art have changed.
See event photos from David Kordansky Gallery here
“Tom House” is the most recent celebration of Tom of Finland’s life and life’s work and comes off the heels of the debut of Tom of Finland Pleasure Tools, a collection of pleasure products and lifestyle gear created and released by the XR team.
No design or decision was made without first asking, “What would Tom have done?” and the team worked tirelessly with the Tom of Finland Foundation execute the intricate details – everything from the gunmetal grey color carried throughout the line to the Tom of Finland-branded locks and dog tags on the packaging. These little details help convey a lifestyle beyond the products themselves and make it easy for fans to bring a little bit of Tom with them everywhere they go.