Light, Sand, and Sea: The Luminous Architecture of the Hamptons

There is a specific quality of light in the Hamptons that has long acted as a silent siren to the creative spirit. It is a luminosity that refracts off the ocean, filters through the potato fields, and settles over the inlets with a clarity that demands to be captured. This atmospheric phenomenon is the protagonist of Light, Sand, and Sea, a new volume by Coco Myers that functions less as a catalogue and more as an intimate geography of artistic creation.

Myers, whose roots in East Hampton run as deep as the region’s artistic legacy, constructs a narrative that bridges the gap between the observer and the maker. The book, set to launch on May 6, 2025, profiles 50 established artists who have not only found sanctuary in this coastal enclave but have allowed its elemental forces to shape their output. It is a documentation of a living community, where the boundaries between the studio and the shoreline are perpetually blurred.

An artist's studio space in the Hamptons, showcasing the integration of natural light and creative materials

A Curator’s Return to Origins

The genesis of this collection is deeply personal. For Myers, the Hamptons art scene is not a subject of study, but a memory of home. “I literally grew up with paintings hanging in my house,” she reflects, describing an upbringing where art was as domestic and essential as the furniture. This early immersion cultivated a sensibility that she later refined through art history studies at Princeton University.

Her professional trajectory, which spanned the glossy, fast-paced worlds of Allure and Elle, eventually circled back to the slower, more deliberate rhythm of the East End. For over two decades, Myers has acted as a conduit for local talent, representing artists and curating spaces. Light, Sand, and Sea represents the crystallization of this journey—a tribute to the individuals who continue to define the cultural topography of the region.

Artwork reflecting the textures and colors of the Hamptons landscape

The Sanctum of the Studio

To capture the essence of these creators, Myers collaborated with photographer Jaime Lopez. The visual language of the book avoids the sterile detachment of a gallery view. Instead, Lopez’s lens focuses on the “environmental portrait”—capturing artists within the chaotic order of their studios. These spaces are treated as extensions of the artist’s mind, filled with the raw materials of their craft.

“We hope to allow people to see into their worlds, which is something most people don’t get to experience unless they know the artist,” Myers notes. The choice to photograph the artists in situ reveals the vulnerability of the creative process. It strips away the mystique of the finished masterpiece to reveal the labor, the tools, and the solitude required to bring it into existence.

A detailed view of an artwork emphasizing the interplay of light and texture

Echoes of a Legendary Light

The curation of the 50 featured artists was a deliberate exercise in identifying those with a “strong track record” and a deep engagement with the community. The selection spans mediums—from sculpture and painting to mixed media and photography—yet a unifying thread runs through the diversity: the environment.

The Hamptons has historically been a pilgrimage site for visionaries. Myers draws a lineage that stretches back to the landscape painters of the late 19th century, such as Thomas Moran, and extends through the revolutionary era of the Abstract Expressionists in the 1950s and 60s. The contemporary artists featured in the book are the heirs to this tradition. “The light is magical and legendary out here,” Myers observes. “You have vistas looking out to the ocean; vistas looking out over the bays and the inlets… There’s just so much light out here.”

Contemporary art piece highlighting the modern interpretation of the Hamptons aesthetic

This connection to nature is often physical. For many of the profiled artists, the rhythm of the ocean is not just a visual reference but a lifestyle, with surfing culture weaving itself into their artistic discipline. The environment dictates the palette, the texture, and the mood of the work produced here.

A vibrant painting capturing the dynamic energy of the sea and sky

Voices from the East End

Beyond the visual, Light, Sand, and Sea serves as an oral history. Myers conducted in-depth interviews, visiting studios to collect personal narratives that accompany the imagery. “Most of the text is in their own voices,” she explains, ensuring that the artists are the primary narrators of their own experiences.

These visits often yielded moments of unscripted beauty. Myers recalls a session with Dalton Portella, a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans visual art and music. During the shoot, surrounded by his guitars and drums, Portella began to play. “It was amazing,” Myers recalls. Such moments underscore the vibrancy of a community where creativity is not compartmentalized but flows freely between disciplines.

An artist surrounded by their work, exemplifying the creative immersion of the Hamptons scene

Through these pages, the Hamptons emerges not merely as a backdrop, but as an active participant in the artistic process—a place where the elements of light, sand, and sea conspire to inspire the sublime.