September 11, 1995 |
V.I.P.'s Imprintables Today Excerpt from article: Ye Olde T-Shirt Nation Makes Pilgrimage Through New England |
Rick Roth Mirror Image Cambridge, Massachusetts "Photo Shop" When Rick Roth looks in the mirror, he sees one of the most innovative image-makers in the industry. But it's not just one person looking back at him, it's 25. |
The minds at Mirror Image are some of the most advanced anywhere. Terri Vitale has production down pat. Colin Cheer has turned art into a science. And Rick has revolution in his soul. Together, they lured a contract with Fotofolio to put the work of such great artists as William Wegman, Renee Cox, Annie Lebowitz, Sandy Scoglund and Richard Avedon on T-shirts. Their reproductions are nothing short of spectacular. But the buck doesn't stop there. Mirror Image keeps its conscience in check by doing work for Amnesty International and a host of social causes. "We're anti-pretense here," explains Rick. In fact, the emphasis at Mirror Image is on real people and unreal prints. When Iqal Masih, the young Pakistani activist, was killed for protesting child labor in his country, Mirror Image responed by opening up a page on the World Wide Web for children and adults to share their feelings. Some of their poetry then was turned into T-shirt art. And now, the public can order these and other designs through cyberspace on the World Wide Web. Mirror Image maintains a wonderful sense of humor despite the serious nature of their work. The employees go on group outings, host inventive parties and indulge their creative muses on personal pet projects. "We're the sum of our parts," Rick concludes. And it all adds up to genius. |