Classic Gay Porn Art Exhibit at MOCA L.A. Now Through January

LOS ANGELES—Now through January 26, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is presenting Bob Mizer & Tom of Finland, the first American museum exhibition devoted to the works of Mizer (1922-92) and Touko Laaksonen (1920-91), the man behind the Tom of Finland name.  "Curated by Bennett Simpson and guest co-curator Richard Hawkins," notes FrontiersLA, "the MOCA show features a selection of Laaksonen’s iconic and masterful drawings, collages and books, juxtaposed with Mizer’s photographs, films and a collection of his groundbreaking magazine, Physique Pictorial. "Presented in collaboration with the Bob Mizer Foundation and the Tom of Finland Foundation," it continues, "the exhibit seeks a wider appreciation for Mizer and Laaksonen’s art, considering their aesthetic influence on generations of artists, both gay and straight, while also acknowledging the artists’ profound cultural and social impact, most importantly in providing open, powerful imagery of queer sexuality in an era of rapidly shifting attitudes towards homosexuality." A description of the exhibit put together by MOCA adds, "Spanning five decades, the exhibition seeks a wider appreciation for Tom of Finland and Bob Mizer's work, considering their aesthetic influence on generations of artists, both gay and straight, among them Kenneth Anger, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, David Hockney, G.B. Jones, Mike Kelley, Robert Mapplethorpe, Henrik Olesen, Jack Pierson, John Waters, and Andy Warhol." It continues, "The exhibition also acknowledges the profound cultural and social impact both artists have made, especially in providing open, powerful imagery for a community of desires at a time when it was still very much criminal. Presenting the broader historical context and key aspects of their shared interests and working relationship, as well as more in-depth solo rooms dedicated to each artist, the exhibition establishes the art historical importance of the staggering work of these legendary figures." Bob Mizer & Tom of Finland is presented at MOCA Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, California 90069. More information about the exhibit can be found here. Image: Ray Hornsby, Motorcycle, c. 1957, by Bob Mizer, left, and an untitled work (From Jungle Seafood story) by Tom of Finland, dated 1972.