He sells homes in the dunes, and he’s artistically inspired by them. Renaissance-man realtor Raphael Avigdor, who has been named a Top 10 producer for Douglas Elliman in Long Island for a decade, has, he says, “a second persona…the truth is, it’s a third or fourth persona.” A selection of works by Avigdor the photographer (he’s also a sculptor, author, designer, samba drummer, linguist and award-winning documentary film producer) will be exhibited at Rebecca Hossack’s C25 booth at The Market + Art Design show, August 11-14 at Nova’s Field in Bridgehampton.
The series of undulating dunescapes shot in the Southern Sahara desert in 2018 represents one facet of the artist’s dynamic, globe-trotting aesthetic, on view at raphaelavigdorphotography.com. No barren wastelands, these dunes project a golden, optimistic life force, much like Avigdor himself. “I’m a person-person,” he says. “I meet more real estate clients at Art Basel and other art shows, where people come to the booths and find out a little bit about me. Real estate allows me the luxury of pursuing my other dreams and goals.”
The dunes portraits—“art that shifts with wind and storms,” Avigdor says—are a natural fit for homeowners on the East End. “One of the many themes that attracts homeowners here is waves. Sand dunes are the waves of the desert.”
