GREETINGS from The STATE of ALOHA addresses the profound impact of tourism and colonialism that has prevailed in the self-proclaimed “Aloha State” since the Kingdom was violently overthrown and annexed to the United States in 1893.
As a long-time resident who spent a decade employed in the tourism industry, I believe that it is my kuleana (a Hawaiian word meaning my privilege, my honor and my responsibility) to understand and respect the culture of the place I call home. I am still learning. As time passes and my knowledge of Hawaiʻi becomes increasingly nuanced I have found myself alternately sad, frustrated and even angry by how the state is presented to, and treated by visitors — these feelings are the genesis of this body of work.
While tourism involves an exchange of people, place and experience it is also a transaction of perception. Handwritten postcard messages, catchy slogans and alluring images all become part of a place’s collective memory even for those that have never visited. By placing my contemporary images in conversation with vintage postcards and ephemera I create a visual dialogue between past and present that exposes how a nuanced ancient culture, the place, and its people, are often commodified and reduced to caricatures.
Photographic portrayals of the deposed monarchy and unique aspects of Hawaiian culture, such as hula and traditional luau (feasts), have been mythologized and are now part of a widely accepted image of Hawaiʻi as a stereotyped tropical paradise. The chasm between authentic cultural practices and what is presented to visitors is often an unbridgeable contradiction.
Today tourism is one of the top economic drivers of the Hawaiʻi economy which complicates efforts to promote a more sustainable and culturally sensitive visitor industry. Long simmering, significant ideological and financial rifts have been exposed between the Hawai’i tourism industry, cultural practitioners, and residents. Colonial legacies persist, and Hawai’i is not unique in reflecting a broader global trend where mass tourism objectifies local cultures. Spain, Greece, Italy and many other places around the world also struggle with the negative impacts from mass/over tourism.
Since imagery from Hawai’i is recognizable worldwide, GREETINGS from The STATE of ALOHA will resonate across physical borders. This body of work will raise awareness of what is at stake when a place is ʻsoldʻ as a vacation destination and will encourage viewers to consider their role within the global tourism industry whether in Hawaiʻi or far from her tropical shores.