Georgia O'Keeffe, one of most famous American painters. She refused to advertise products in order to preserve her artistic integrity, but here is a story...
In 1938 Georgia O’Keeffe took nine days to travel from New York to Hawaiian. Upon her arrival, local newspapers called her "the famous painter of flowers," but the reason for this trip was quite different. O’Keeffe was in Hawaii to paint a … pineapple. At least, that was what Dole (then known to be “Hawaiian Pineapple Company”) hoped she would do.
It had approached O’Keeffe, proposing an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. She just had to deliver 2 paintings for use in a national advertising campaign. Okeefe was so inspired by the beauty of the pineapple fields, that she wanted to leave in the plantation area. However, her employer denied her request to live among laborers, as they believed it would be improper for a woman to do so.
Okeefe spent 2 months in Hawaii (all expenses paid). Upon return to the USA, she delivered 2 paintings: but there was no pineapple to be seen... Dole was less than pleased. Immediately they shipped a pineapple plant from Hawaii to the artist’s doorstep in just 36 hours — so that she could paint it for advertising purposes.
The result: paint appeared…. in both Vogue and many other publications, creating a footprint for Dole in the Fine art world.
Okeefe spent 2 months in Hawaii (all expenses paid). Upon return to the USA, she delivered 2 paintings: but there was no pineapple to be seen... Dole was less than pleased. Immediately they shipped a pineapple plant from Hawaii to the artist’s doorstep in just 36 hours — so that she could paint it for advertising purposes.
The result: paint appeared…. in both Vogue and many other publications, creating a footprint for Dole in the Fine art world.
