Olaf Odegaard
Olaf | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1938 |
| Died | December 25, 1997 (aged 59) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Erotic drawing |
Olaf Odegaard (December 15, 1938 – December 25, 1997), better known by his pen name Olaf,[1] was an American artist active in the latter half of the twentieth century, known for his explicit, homoerotic illustrations.[2]
Olaf's art explores themes such as the devil, satyrs, and BDSM, including master/slave relationships.[2] He is most well-known for his graphite pencil drawings.[2]
Biography[edit]
Olaf was born in Wisconsin, where he attended Carroll College.[2] He continued his education at Harvard Divinity School and the University of Tokyo, after which he obtained a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hawaii.[2]
Olaf's work gained prominence through features in Drummer magazine.[3]
In 1986, Olaf organized Naked Eyes, an artist showcase highlighting gay men's visual art for the International Gay and Lesbian Archives.[4]
Olaf reportedly lived a solitary life and struggled with housing insecurity.[2][3] However, he developed close relationships with Jim Kepner and Durk Dehner, both of which supported Olaf at times to prevent him from becoming homeless.[2] With Dehner's help, Olaf moved into a home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.[3]
In 1996, Dehner and the Tom of Finland Company published a 64-page book of Olaf's work entitled Beasts and Beauties: The Erotic Art of Olaf.[2][5]
Cultural impact & legacy[edit]
The Tom of Finland Foundation proclaimed Olaf to be the "erotic master of the graphite pencil"[2] and one of the "greats" among Tom of Finland, Etienne, and Domino.[3]
Olaf's remaining works were sold upon his death to fund his nephew's education.[2] Although much of his art entered private collections,[6][3] some of his works was acquired by the Leather Archives & Museum, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and Tom of Finland Foundation.[2][7][4][1]
In 2015, Olaf's art was featured in The Stonewall Nation, a book and film by Sille Storihle exploring the history of the Stonewall Nation movement.[7][8]
In 2016 Olaf's work was featured in a retrospective by the GLBT Historical Society entitled "Stroke: From Under the Mattress to the Museum Walls."[6] That same year he also featured in Cock, Paper, Scissors, an exhibition and book published by the ONE Archives in collaboration with the Leslie-Lohman Museum.[9][10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Odegaard, Olaf - (AKA Olaf)". Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hooven, Valentine (ed.). "Dispatch Fall/Winter 1997". Tom of Finland Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b c d e ""AllTogether" | Michael Kirwan, Olaf and Palanca". Tom of Finland Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b "International Gay and Lesbian Archives records". Online Archive of California. Coll2012-002. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ Odegaard, Olaf (1996). Beasts & Beauties: The Erotic Art of Olaf. Tom of Finland Company.
- ^ a b "Stroke: From Under the Mattress to the Museum Walls". GLBT Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b "Sille Storihle: From Stonewall to Hollywood". PBS SoCal. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "The Stonewall Nation". Printed Matter, Inc. ISBN 9788293104315. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Books: Cock, Paper, Scissors". Advocate. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Cock, Paper, Scissors | One Archives". ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. ISBN 978-0-9894072-1-2. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
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