{{Short description|American artist and playwright (1938–1997)}} {{Infobox artist | name = Olaf | birth_date = {{birth date|1938|12|15}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1997|12|25|1938|12|15}} | known_for = Erotic drawing | birth_place = Wisconsin | death_place = Los Angeles, California | image = Olaf Odegaard Rashomon 1959.png | caption = Odegaard rehearsing ''Rashomon'' in 1959 }}
'''Olaf Odegaard''' (December 15, 1938 – December 25, 1997), better known by his pen name '''Olaf''',<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Odegaard, Olaf - (AKA Olaf) |url=https://leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/40610B42-8D05-49C2-B185-173052217325 |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art}}</ref> was an American artist and playwright active in the latter half of the twentieth century, known for his homoerotic illustrations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |editor-last=Hooven |editor-first=Valentine |title=Dispatch Fall/Winter 1997 |url=http://www.worldoftomoffinland.com/foundation/Dispatch/dispFW97/dispFW97.html |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Tom of Finland Foundation}}</ref>
Olaf's art explores themes such as the devil, satyrs, and BDSM, including master/slave relationships.<ref name=":0" /> He is most well known for his graphite pencil drawings.<ref name=":0" />
== Biography == Olaf was born in Wisconsin.<ref name=":0" /> He graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha in 1961.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/897/rec/15 |access-date=2024-06-16 |publication-date=1962-03-09 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=VII |issue=15}}</ref> Olaf was actively involved in campus life at university.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/1140/rec/7 |publication-date=1958-02-28 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=III |issue=9}}</ref> He variously wrote, directed, crewed, or starred in multiple theater productions including ''Macbeth'',<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/2688/rec/3 |access-date=2024-06-16 |publication-date=1958-11-07 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=IV |issue=4}}</ref> ''The Lady's Not For Burning'',<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/882/rec/1 |access-date=2024-06-16 |publication-date=1961-05-05 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=VI |issue=13}}</ref> and ''Rashomon.''<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/867/rec/9 |publication-date=1959-10-16 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=V |issue=2}}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/870/rec/10 |publication-date=1960-03-18 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=V |issue=11}}</ref> He joined the Phi Theta Pi fraternity in 1958<ref name=":8" /> became president of Alpha Psi Omega in 1960,<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/881/rec/5 |access-date=2024-06-16 |publication-date=1960-05-27 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=V |issue=15}}</ref> and won numerous awards and honors for art and theater.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/883/rec/2 |publication-date=1961-05-26 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=VI |issue=14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=The Carroll Echo |url=https://archives.carrollu.edu/digital/collection/News/id/860/rec/8 |publication-date=1959-03-25 |via=Carroll University Archives |volume=IV |issue=11}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> In 1961, he won second place in the President's Cup oratory contest for a speech in which he "suggested that pornographic or "sick" humor is gradually replacing clever satire."<ref name=":6" /> That same year, Olaf and several classmates appeared on the television show "About Faces."<ref name=":9" />
Olaf continued his education at Harvard Divinity School and the University of Tokyo, after which he obtained a Master of Fine Arts in play-writing from the University of Hawaii.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":10" />
Olaf's erotic artwork gained prominence through features in ''Drummer'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1980 |title=Our Fifth Anniversary Issue |journal=Drummer |volume=5 |issue=38 |pages=16}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title="AllTogether" {{!}} Michael Kirwan, Olaf and Palanca |url=https://www.tomoffinland.org/alltogether-michael-kirwan-olaf-palanca/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Tom of Finland Foundation|date=16 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=THE ART OF DRUMMER – 19th March – LA |url=https://www.tomoffinland.org/the-art-of-drummer-19th-march-la/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Tom of Finland Foundation|date=5 March 2013 }}</ref> In 1985, 30 of his erotic illustrations were published in ''Personals: Only Real Men Need Reply'' by Glenlee Enterprises; a portion of all sales from the book were donated to charity for AIDS victims.<ref>{{Cite web |year=1985 |title=You're under arrest : Glenlee Enterprises proudly presents, The art of Olaf (UC12338633) |url=https://doi.org/10.25549/one-c4-46158 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=USC Libraries |series=box 9 (box), P01317 (call number), one-2018001-p01317~01.tif (filename), one-c4-46158 (legacy record id) |publisher= |doi=10.25549/one-c4-46158 |via=ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives}}</ref>
In 1986, Olaf organized ''Naked Eyes,'' an artist showcase highlighting gay men's visual art for the International Gay and Lesbian Archives, featuring Harry Bush, Domino, The Hun, MATT, Steve Masters, Dom Orejudos, Rex, Sean, and Bill Ward, among others.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Finding Aid to the International Gay and Lesbian Archives Records, 1958-2002 Coll2012-002 |url=https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8jm2816/dsc/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Online Archive of California }}</ref> His art was also exhibited at Fey-Way Studios.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heigl |first=Alex |date=2020-02-09 |title=Oscars 2020: The true story of Robert Opel, the 1974 Academy Awards streaker |url=https://nypost.com/2020/02/09/the-life-and-tragic-death-of-infamous-oscars-streaker-robert-opel/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}</ref>
Olaf reportedly lived a solitary life and struggled with housing insecurity.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> However, he developed close relationships with Jim Kepner and Durk Dehner, both of whom supported Olaf at times to prevent him from becoming homeless.<ref name=":0" /> With Dehner's help, Olaf moved into a home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.<ref name=":1" /> alt=Cover image of Beasts & Beauties: The Erotic Art of Olaf, which shows two of Olaf's drawings. On the left, two naked satyrs; on the right, an undressed soldier with an erection fondles his nipple.|thumb|Cover of ''Beasts & Beauties: The Erotic Art of Olaf'' 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.''<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Odegaard |first=Olaf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXiaXwAACAAJ |title=Beasts & Beauties: The Erotic Art of Olaf |date=1996 |publisher=Tom of Finland Company |language=en}}</ref>
== Cultural impact and legacy == The Tom of Finland Foundation proclaimed Olaf to be the "erotic master of the graphite pencil"<ref name=":0" /> and one of the "greats" among Tom of Finland, Etienne, and Domino.<ref name=":1" />
Olaf's remaining works were sold upon his death to fund his nephew's education.<ref name=":0" /> Although much of his art entered private collections,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Stroke: From Under the Mattress to the Museum Walls |url=https://www.glbthistory.org/stroke |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=GLBT Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> some of his works were acquired by the Leather Archives & Museum,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blond Portrait, Olaf Odegaard original art - Artwork (2006066101) |url=https://leatherarchives.org/ca/index.php/Detail/objects/12576 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Leather Archives & Museum Collections Database}}</ref> ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and Tom of Finland Foundation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2015-01-09 |title=Sille Storihle: From Stonewall to Hollywood |url=https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/artbound/sille-storihle-from-stonewall-to-hollywood |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=PBS SoCal |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" />
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.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.printedmatter.org/catalog/63774/ |title=The Stonewall Nation |date=2023 |publisher=Printed Matter, Inc. |isbn=9788293104315 |access-date=2024-06-01}}</ref> Chuck Conner and Sean Platter cited Olaf as an inspiration for their 2008 comic series ''DEMONICSEX'', which includes a foreword by Clive Barker.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DEMONICSEX |url=https://lamgifts.com/products/demonicsex |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Gift Shop of the Leather Archives & Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Conner |first=Chuck |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gIkbNAAACAAJ |title=Demonicsex: Satanic Tales of Transformation and Possession, Vol. 1 REPRINT |publisher=Aardvark Global Publishing |others=Illustrated by Sean Platter |year=2008 |isbn=9781427631688 |language=en}}</ref>
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."<ref name=":3" /> That same year he was also featured in ''Cock, Paper, Scissors,'' an exhibition and book published by the ONE Archives in collaboration with the Leslie-Lohman Museum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-01 |title=Books: Cock, Paper, Scissors |url=https://www.advocate.com/books/2016/8/01/books-cock-paper-scissors |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Advocate |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://one.usc.edu/publication/cock-paper-scissors |title=Cock, Paper, Scissors |date=2016 |publisher=ONE Archives at the USC Libraries with the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art |isbn=978-0-9894072-1-2 |editor-last=Evans Frantz |editor-first=David |access-date=2024-06-01 |editor-last2=Hilderbrand |editor-first2=Lucas |editor-last3=Perkov |editor-first3=Kayleigh}}</ref>
== References == <references />
{{Portal bar|LGBTQ|Human sexuality|Erotica and pornography|Biography}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odegaard, Olaf}} Category:1938 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American magazine cartoonists Category:American gay artists Category:Underground cartoonists Category:Fetish artists Category:Gay male BDSM Category:Gay male erotica artists Category:American erotic artists Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people Category:LGBTQ people from Wisconsin Category:Carroll University alumni Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni Category:University of Tokyo alumni Category:Harvard Divinity School alumni