Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i , was an exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden of her work created during nine weeks spent in Hawai’i in 1939. This accompanying book, edited by Joanna L. Groarke and Theresa Papanikolas, was a very interesting chronicle of O’Keeffe’s time spent there. She was hired by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now Dole Food Company) to visit the territory and create a series of paintings that could be used in print advertisements. During the nine weeks she spent in the islands, she created numerous paintings that were very much in her style, took many snapshots, and wrote wonderful descriptions of her experiences in letters sent home to her husband, Alfred Steiglitz.
Also included in this book are interesting background essays about the culture and ecology of Hawaii, and of how the territory of Hawaii was perceived in the 1930s as a tropical paradise, an “alluring fantasy.” It was all very interesting to read, as a view of Hawaii through the talent of an artist I love and through stories about what life was like at that time on the islands.
I read this book for my personal challenge, “WANDERLUST: Reading the States,” my effort to read books that are from or take place in each of the 50 United States. This book took place in Hawaii.
A Fondness For Reading 
What a beautiful book!
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It was very interesting to learn about this one part of an artist’s life. I knew the effect of Place on her art of New Mexico, but I didn’t know about her experience in Hawaii and the influence it had on all her work.
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I had no idea that Georgia O’Keefe was commissioned by Dole. What an interesting and beautiful book. I am an O’Keefe fan, so will have to get a copy. The NYC exhibit sounds marvelous.
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Jane, I didn’t know about her time in Hawaii, either! I was really caught by the book when I found it through our library. I would have loved to see the exhibition in NY!
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That’s such a great book! It was on the Hawaii list of beautiful children’s books. I think the idea of reading around the 50 states is great, and it would be interesting how many favorites you spot on this list. https://booksaroundtheglobe.com/50-states-childrens-books
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