A stunning visual journey through the last vestiges of New York City’s artist lofts Envied by artists and apartment hunters alike for their wide windows and open floor plans, New York City’s lofts were once manufacturing centers in the late 19th and early 20th century. As urban densification pushed industry into the suburbs, these buildings were left empty. Looking for cheap rents and ideal studios, artists struck bargains with landlords to live and work in commercially zoned spaces. By the 1970s, these same artists faced eviction as their landlords embraced the new wealthy clientele that seeped into neighborhoods such as SoHo, Tribeca and the Bowery. Enacted in 1982, Article 7-C of the Multiple Dwelling Law, better known as the “Loft Law,” allowed artists to obtain legal occupancy and rent stabilization. After discovering a map of the protected buildings, documentary filmmaker Joshua Charow embarked on the ambitious project of documenting them. Over two years, he rang hundreds of doorbells, interviewing over 50 artists still living in these lofts, and photographing them in their spaces, alongside their works in progress and the unique modifications they have made to the lofts to meet legal standards. This timely untold story paints a portrait of a bygone era of New York’s downtown art scene. Artists include: Ken Jacobs, Flo Jacobs, Loretta Dunkelman, Katherine Liberovskaya, Phill Niblock, Gerald Marks, Martine Mallary, Michael Sullivan, Carmen Cicero, Joseph Marioni, Carolyn Oberst, Jeff Way, Chuck DeLaney, Joe Haske, Kimiko Fujimura, Steve Silver, Noah Jemison, Sumayyah Samaha, Bob Petrucci, Claire Fergusson, Gilda Pervin, Curtis Mitchell, Ellen Christine, Marsha Pels, Betsy Kaufman, Jennifer Charles, JG Thirlwell, Alex Locadia, Winkel, Anne Mason. Joshua Charow is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in New York City. His projects aim to unveil unseen stories and subcultures across New York City. Charow has directed and shot documentary films for the New York Times , Time magazine, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. A new book is opening the curtains to the last creative residential sanctuaries left in the city. Photographer Joshua Charow’s 'Loft Law: The Last of New York City’s Original Artist Lofts,' newly released on Damiani Books, captures a fading way of life. -- Jamie Valentino ― Artnet In his new book 'Loft Law, The Last of New York City’s Original Artist Lofts,' Charow intimately captures spaces and faces from the dwindling fraternity of auteurs protected under the 1982 New York law of the same name. -- Jason Meggyesy ― Highsnobiety For generations, artists came to New York to practice their vocation. Many lived in industrial spaces converted into studios and lofts, where they remain, despite the changes of the city around them. Charow does us all a favor in this loving book, gorgeously rendered, by taking us into these lofts and into the lives of the artists. -- Alex Belth ― Esquire Joshua Charow est un photographe et réalisateur documentaire basé à New York. Adolescent, il se rendait à New York pour escalader les gratte-ciel, grimper au sommet des ponts et parcourir les tunnels du métro afin de photographier des lieux secrets. Ces expériences précoces influencent le sujet et le style cinématographique qu'il utilise dans ses documentaires. Ses projets visent à dévoiler des histoires et des sous-cultures inédites dans la ville de New York. Charow a réalisé et tourné des films documentaires pour le New York Times, TIME Magazine, Amazon Prime Video et Hulu.