PATRICK D. PAGNANO

Empire Roller Disco Series, 1980

Artichaval Pigment Prints

I enjoyed the exhibition on Brooklyn Photograph at Bric. The photographer Pagnano’s history of work caught my eye. His photographs were a telling a story about the famous landmark in Brooklyn, Empire Roller Disco in the 1980s. I was drawn to his work because I’m from Brooklyn and my mother was born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I remember hearing stories of how much fun she would have going roller skating with her friends an siblings at Empire. It made me feel good to see all the subjects in all of Pagnano’s photographs were caught enjoying themselves, smiling, showing off their latest moves. I felt for a second that I was there, with them at that moment, having a great time as I smiled at the photos. I even caught myself laughing out loud from their facial expressions of showing off. Empire Roller Disco existed when the neighborhood was experiencing riots, poverty, racial tension and demographics were shifting. Pagnano’s photographs captured the disco culture and the culture of the Crown Heights people. Showing even during a rough time in a bad neighborhood there was still a place where people could go and skate their pain away….or just have a really good time!

Patrick D. Pagnano
Untitled, 1980