Black and white photo of two story craftsman with cars and motorcycles outside.

Place

Tom of Finland House

Artist Tom of Finland played an important role in changing public perceptions of erotic art in Los Angeles.

Saved

In 2016, the Tom of Finland House was designated an L.A. Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM)

Place Details

Address

1421 Laveta Terrace,
Los Angeles, California 90026
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Phone Number

Neighborhood

Echo Park

Decade

Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

Overview

This Craftsman home in Echo Park has long been a bastion of erotic art thanks to the internationally celebrated artist Tom of Finland.

A native of the Finnish countryside, Touko Laaksonen (1920-1991) adopted the pseudonym “Tom of Finland” in 1957, after being credited as such in Los Angeles-based photographer Bob Mizer’s magazine Physique Pictorial. He soon became a renowned illustrator of gay erotica.

Laaksonen first came to Los Angeles in 1978 to showcase his artwork in a solo exhibition. He eventually began splitting his time evenly between Finland and Los Angeles, where Durk Dehner invited Laaksonen to use the home as a studio and residence.

In 1984, Laaksonen and Dehner spearheaded the Tom of Finland Foundation in the house to catalog Laaksonen’s work and to provide a safe space for gay and queer artists facing discrimination and misrepresentation in the public realm.

The organization continues to present erotic art in a curatorial, yet open, environment where the works can be viewed and appreciated for their artistic contributions, free from judgment

In July 2016, the Tom of Finland Foundation nominated 1421 Laveta Terrace for designation as an Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). City Council voted to approve the nomination in November 2016.

About This Place

About This Place

Tom of Finland was born Touko Laaksonen in Kaarina, Finland in 1920. Growing up in the Finnish countryside, Laaksonen was enamored of the masculine figures, including farmers and loggers, who worked in the landscapes near his home.

Laaksonen attended art school and studied advertising in Helsinki until the outbreak of World War II, when he was conscripted as a lieutenant in the Finnish Army.

It was during his time in the military that Laaksonen first began exploring his gay identity. The influence of his relationships with overtly masculine figures is reflected in his art work and continues to be a source of inspiration for queer artists.

Our Position

The Conservancy was proud to support the nomination of the Tom of Finland House for its significance with artist Touko Laaksonen during the last decade of his life.

This era marked a particularly productive period in his career, during which he rose to international acclaim for his contributions to erotic art and gay culture. During this time, Laaksonen used the third floor space as his combined bedroom and studio. Although he returned to Finland regularly, the Echo Park residence fostered his artistic community and cultivated an ongoing discourse on art, gay liberation, and pride.

While his work has been featured in the collections of major art institutions, including the New York Museum of Modern Art and Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, the Tom of Finland House continues to promote Laaksonen’s legacy and fosters new generations of gay and erotic artists.

Timeline