Originally built as factories and warehouses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, New York’s lofts were left vacant as industries moved to the suburbs in the 1950s. In search of affordable rents and open spaces, artists began moving into to them, striking informal deals with landlords. Often lacking basic amenities like electricity, heat, kitchens, or showers, the new tenants transformed these spaces over time into functional live-work studios tailored to their needs. However, by the 1970s, many of these artists faced eviction as landlords sought to capitalize on the influx of wealthier tenants in neighbourhoods such as SoHo, Tribeca, and the Bowery. In response, after intense lobbying by the city’s artistic community, in 1982 New York State enacted Article 7-C of the Multiple Dwelling Law, commonly known as the Loft Law, granting artists legal occupancy of these lofts and providing rent stabilization. Of the tens of thousands of artists living in lofts at the time, only a few hundred still remain today under the original Loft Law.

Charow became aware of the law in his early twenties when he set out to find an apartment that could serve as a live-work photo studio. Intrigued, he started researching the law’s history. “What I discovered was a fascinating history, an amazing group of artists, and a fantastical collection of lofts that are the last of their kind,” Charow writes in the book’s introduction. “These artists had the ingenuity and creativity to envision these forgotten buildings as a perfect place to create art and, ultimately, transformed formerly derelict neighbourhoods into the cultural epicentre of the world.”

Charow's interest turned into a mission: he acquired a map of all the buildings in New York City covered by the Loft Law and set out to find and photograph these spaces and their residents. Over two years, he visited hundreds of addresses, often relying on word-of-mouth referrals from the tenants that he photographed, capturing images of artists amidst their works in progress as well as documenting the unique modifications they made to their lofts to meet legal standards. Complemented by the personal histories of the artists, Charow's photography not only preserves the last vestiges of a fading era but also stands as a testament to the creativity and resilience of the over 75 artists he ultimately documented who transformed some of the city’s abandoned buildings into distinctive cultural landmarks.