Light, Sand and Sea: New Book Taps Into Artistic Process of 50 East End Creatives

Jaime Lopez loves artist studios — from basements, attics and purpose-built spaces to factory warehouses with a handful of assistants, all working with a common goal.

No matter where he arrives, with his camera in hand, he always gives the same set of instructions: Don’t tidy up, he explained, or even think about cleaning.

The messier, the better.

“It’s like going into a gold mine,” he said. “Everything shines beautifully and you get a glimpse of who they are. One of the things I ask is not to organize it for pictures. Just leave it as is and let me discover. It’s like I’m discovering this playground.”

The resulting images — shot inside the studios of 50 East End painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and mixed-media artists — now live inside the newest collaboration from Lopez and writer Coco Myers, “Light, Sand, and Sea: Hamptons Artists and Their Studios,” which became available to the public starting earlier this month.

“There have been books of artists done out here, but I don’t think anybody’s done a compilation like this, this expanse of 400 pages of photographs,” Myers said. “I knew it from the first photo shoot that it was going to be a successful series of photographs.”

The project began as an effort to give back to the community that they call home, Lopez and Myers said, and they leaned on their strengths — she as the founder of Folioeast, an online gallery and art consulting business, and he as a widely published fashion photographer whose work has appeared in Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and more.

“I figured that I couldn’t drive an ambulance or be a fireman,” he said, “and I better stick with what I know how to do.”

Tired of photographing traditionally trained models, Lopez first turned his attention to the local farming community, and invited them to his Sagaponack studio. “They never came,” he said. “They’re camera shy and they’ll find excuses — exactly the excuses that you want to photograph them with: ‘I’m full of potato dust.’ And come, come, come like that. Bring your rooster, bring a potato.”

Ever determined, Lopez pivoted — this time to artists, a quite literally colorful and vibrant community, Myers said, and extremely willing.

They first came to the studio, dressed and styled as themselves, some with a favorite accessory or prop in tow. Sculptor Joel Perlman carried in his welding shield. Painter Mary Heilmann brought a flower from her garden. Photographer Michael O’Neill, known for his collection of colorful eyewear, wore lime-green glasses with a jacket to match. And painter Eva Faye brought her handsome dog, which had a starring role.

“In the first few shoots, we knew that this was a great format before we even went to their own studios,” Myers said. “And then that was just a whole other level of richness to the project.”

From one artist to the next, the pair visited them in their own spaces. They talked, worked, explained and demonstrated, some even put on musical performances, including Caio Fonseca on his grand piano, Myers said.

“He sat down and started playing for us, and we had this impromptu concert by him,” she said. “And he had his coffee cup on the piano, and he just sat down in his paint-spattered clothes, and it was magical. That was one memory that was outstanding.”

Every time, no matter the studio, Myers said she came away feeling inspired and excited, particularly after watching artists start new projects before her very eyes.

“There’s just something about being in an artist studio,” she said. “And for me, it’s the smell of paint, the actual smell of the art making, and then when you see an incredible piece of art, or just the paints, the paper, all of that.”

“On the human level, what I took away with me was their life commitment to creating and how important that is to all of us — art lovers or not, really. I love being part of that,” Lopez added. “This is the most rewarding project I’ve ever had.”

He now understands on a deeper level what draws artists to this place — and what inspires him as a landscape photographer. It’s about this community of creatives who fuel one another, he said, as much as the sea, the sand and, of course, the light.

“I live nearby Sagg Pond and I walk there every day,” he said, “and every day, it looks different — to the point that I’m thinking, ‘Is it me?’ But no, the light is different. The sunset, every day, is different. The sunrise, how the water reflects, if the water is still. It’s a magical place, really.”

Jaime Lopez and Coco Myers will discuss their new book on Thursday, May 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway, New York City. They will be joined in conversation by Mónica Ramírez–Montagut, executive director of the Parrish Art Museum. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and reservations are encouraged, but not required. Visit rizzolibookstore.com to reserve.