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t was back in the summer of 2003 that photographer Chris Franko was first introduced to a classic roller rink in Brooklyn called Empire. Fellow club collaborator and graphic designer Gerry Consing had been invited to a birthday party at Empire and was totally hooked. He told his friend, "Empire is the only place left in New York City that still has the old school flava."
However, two long years elapsed before Franko finally tuned into the legendary Empire vibe. But when he did, "The energy there took me away to another place, another age. The skaters there were amazing. There's a reason they call it The Home of Roller Disco. Many of them had been skate doubles in music videos and movies like Roll Bounce, etc… "
Capturing the life, vibrancy, and personalities and the friendly atmosphere at the rink became a personal mission for the photographer and with the closure of the Empire earlier this year his images take on an added resonance.
The now-closed Empire used to be located on Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights Brooklyn. The equally legendary Ebbets Field, the now-demolished home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, used to be right across the street.
"In the 40s and 50s," Chris says, "it was a total destination. Now it's just projects and auto supply shops. No one knows the definite reason of why Empire shut down, but rumour has it the insurance and upkeep eventually became too expensive to maintain. I guess it's going to be a storage facility or something
now. Sounds to me like a very typical New York story of late: a tale of greed
and real estate."
When the roller rink announced its closure, there was an massive outcry from the local community. Empire was a family rink in a public housing neighbourhood. Many afterschool programs used Empire as a facility in order to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. It had teen nights, gospel nights, grown folks skate, kids skate. It was a family place that did not serve alcohol, a diamond in the rough as well as a Godsend for the neighbourhood it resided in.
Empire was the last of three roller rinks in New York City to close in the past year. The people that relied on Empire for entertainment, escape and relaxation now have to deal with a weekly, last-minute scramble to see who will drive out to New Jersey where the closest rinks are.
When Franco first became a regular at Empire he was simply there to skate and have fun. He had no intention of shooting a project. However, the ideas and images developed slowly and organically.
Read the full article in the September 2007 issue of Straight No Chaser |
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Words: Paul Bradshaw + Kristen Sweat
Pictures: Chris Franko |
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