Long Island, especially the East End, has been home to many artists and artist couples who were both stimulated and soothed by proximity to the water, clear views of the sky, and, most of all, by the light that permeates the verdant, flat landscape. Though now a bustling upscale haven, in the 1940s and 1950s it served also as a refuge for artists who wanted to be close enough to New York City to be able to sell and show their work there, but who needed cheaper studio and living space closer to nature, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner among them. Others followed in their wake, and a vibrant artistic community developed.
Five very different homes and gardens, all open to the public, offer an intimate look into the inspirations behind these storied talents.
