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Tom of Finland Foundation Documentary Being Developed About Co-Founder Durk Dehner (EXCLUSIVE)
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorTucked away on a quiet street in Echo Park behind a row of tall bushes is a 3,000-square-foot Craftsman with a black wood door that houses the Tom of Finland Foundation. Started in 1984 to promote the art of Tom of Finland (born Touko Valio Laaksonen), the Finnish artist known for his hypersexualized imagery of men with bulging muscles clad in leather and fetish gear (Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” was a big inspiration), the organization now supports and preserves the full spectrum of LGBTQ erotic art.
