LOGOS1

As t.o.m.t. (the other man's treasures) develops along with the artists growing vision and the environments increasing pressure, the attitude and voice of it has become bolder and unapologetic. This new direction for t.o.m.t. is finding better momentum. 

URL: http://www.refitordie.com

A New Broadcasting Experiment with the goal to more efficiently use social media to promote cooperative groups of artists while building stronger communities.

It is now more important than ever that we put more power into the hands of the people, and work to build alliances and break down growing mass fear of a doomed future.

For more information or to participate in this experimental broadcasting model please contact us:

communenetwork@gmail.com

 twitter: @communenetwork

Imagine 12 closed churches all over Pittsburgh reignited by massive illuminated chandeliers inside. Light emanating out of these currently dead spaces as a bacon of hope and unity. A powerful and beautiful visual statement while being an enlightened community gathering space as well.

THE ANGLES PROJECT is an idea birthed by the amazing number of empty church spaces all over the city and the raw materials from Pittsburgh’s past waiting to be used all over the area too. 

My name is Rodney Allen Trice. In the last 30 years I have been an Art Director/Creative Director on many national publications in NYC,  creator and executive producer for a TV pitch as well as co-founder of The DUMBO Arts Center in Brooklyn NY and co-producer of the first several of our annual open studio festivals. I have recently moved my studio home to Pittsburgh and am thrilled by the possibilities here.

My plan is tosource and repurpose materials from the area that can make massive chandeliers in 12 select empty churches all over Pittsburgh. I would design each with engineers. These chandeliers would be massive. They would be wildly too larger for the space to the point that in some of the churches you aren’t sure where the chandelier begins and ends almost filling the entire soaring ceilings with found materials and light. The plan is to use LED so it can be programed by me and digital lighting designers working with me. While some of the chandeliers in other spaces might be sitting on the floor like some of the giant Buddha statues you see in temples in the world. These versions would be such that you could walk through them.  Additionally I want to work with a theater lighting expert to make sure to allow the light projecting out of each church to reflect or give a sneak peak to what the particular look and light of the chandelier inside is. Of course we would design the outside lighting to not disturb the neighbors while at the same time being dynamic and a beacon for those passing by to not miss it. I have imagined the outside interpretation to be seen from Mt Washington. Imagine looking out over the city and see the twelve lights beaming up all over the place from the 12 churches. Pittsburgh’s unity and hope.

The churches that are still up to code and safe for people to meet in would be filled with events. There will be a call for events while the chandeliers of THE ANGELS PROJECT are being installed. These events will range from circus type trapeze or suspended dancing to all kinds of musical performances, theater performances, good partner installations as well as community events reaching peoples needs that could benefit from dynamic artistic spaces. 

From the beginning of the planning, my hope is to have local neighborhood people help with some of the installation as well as being able to use the spaces for local neighborhood artistic and social ideas to be able to claim ownership and neighborhood pride in these new beacons. I have already had a discussion with the mayors office about using some of the most forward alternative energy options that Pittsburgh is looking at to illuminate these spaces while offering ways that many of the coal industry workers in the area to have ways to look into new energy opportunities in the area. 

I see this project gaining national and even international attention. With that attention I hope to help Pittsburgh find passion and understanding in how the arts does indeed interact with and benefit all of our lives and businesses as well as new excitement and hope for the future of each Pittsburgh neighborhood in which one is built. 

It would be amazing if a few of these churches could remain permanently.  

Even having only recently moved back to The Greater Pittsburgh Area, I quickly got to complete my first project at a benefit event for one of the most wonderful repurposing organizations I have had the pleasure to work with: Construction Junction. The project was a large and surprisingly contemporary chandelier made from 7 wall mounted public toilets. This Toilet Chandelier gained attention from WENN (World Entertainment News Network) in the UK as well as several blogs around the world by both lovers and haters. 

MAY THE BRIDGES I BURN LIGHT THE WAY

starts with a multi-venue show that launches the start of an ongoing community engagement merging Pittsburgh artist’s creative ability to communicate from all mediums and disciplines of visual, performance and experimental arts. This show is to cross racial barriers, cultural barriers and neighborhood lines with a united voice from Pittsburgh on things we find most troubling about this new administration and WILL NOT go back to. I intend to create an event that shows our unity more than division and lets us define together lines we will not return over and forward momentum we do not intend to slow. This is a very unique time where many in the Pittsburgh area are facing such uncertain futures there is an openness that might not have been present before and thus a brilliant chance to bring tighter unity when that idea might seem hopeless.

Artists and creatives are often the very voices that know how to speak louder than words and raise the voices of the community to a place that is both heard and acknowledged far beyond their own homes and streets. Creatives are often the messengers that give us the unique outlooks that make people talk around the world and move to action. They are often the ones to break barriers with their unusual ways to see things.

MAY THE BRIDGES I BURN LIGHT THE WAY 

already is gaining attention and the very beginning of hands on support but needs the financial help to lock down spaces for the visual arts to be displayed, performers to have the equipment and space for their part and the ability to get the word out to the entire community that “their” artists are standing up for us all and to encourage everyone to stand with them.

THE SILENT SOLIDARITY PROJECT is simply a unifying logo in the form of a lapel pin or an arm band. I combined elements representing the LGBT community, The Jewish Community, Blacks, Women and Muslims into one dynamic symbol. A symbol that will be produced into lapel pins and fabric arm bands for those interested in a bolder statement. 

The arm band being a statement stolen from the 30’s & 40’s when Nazi’s in Germany made jews and homosexuals wear symbols on their sleeves. As clearly as ACT-UP in the 80’s seized ownership of the pink triangle from the Nazi’s, I would like the arm band here to become one of strength, ownership and solidarity amongst even those who do not fit into any of the specific groups represented but want to stand with us all too. And for those who do not know what it is, there is no fear of inflammatory incidents when out and about. And a simple, “its a band” a foreign event they went to, or whatever is clever. But between each other, we will see and know we are far from alone.

I have no doubt, if this spreads as big as it can, the numbers of those standing in solidarity together will so swell that it will ease the stress we all feel, make it easier for us to unify on the things we need to fight and confidence that we can win. 

Recognizing just how very much we are not alone and how many of us there are gives strength. The solidarity that results from things like the red ribbon or the pink or yellow ones has also long been used in organizations that do not necessarily need to speak in public but recognize how many are standing with you. 

The D.U.M.B.O. Arts Center started with a single festival in a downtown neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. Once the first festival was over it became clear this was a brilliant way to support the massive number of artists in the community with a center and continue with an annual festival. These are the logos of the center and symbols for the festival and all that was going on for signage and mapping. 

Magic is all around us.

We each define it in our own way.

We each embrace or reject it in our own ways.

Some use terms like “miracle” “nature” or “voodoo” to engage

the conversation, but do not be fooled, it is everywhere.

These adorning objects have been made with stones,

metal, wood and bone that have been carefully selected

for their symbolism, properties and history.

Some have specific properties that should not be ignored.

You can’t fight mother nature, as they say. But as long as you are not

defying those natural properties, these symbols can be

empowerring.

When your Talisman arrives, speak to it before putting it on.

Tell it what it is to symbolize in your life. And

every time you put it on remind yourself of what you spoke.

The real magic lies in you.

Let these bits of stone, wood and bone serve to

remind you of that always.

Gig mania was a concert ticket buying venue starting in Brooklyn, NY. The idea was different because the "Gigmaniac" character was like your buddy who could go ahead of you wherever you traveled and let you know what concerts might be going on of interest to you where you are going and while you are there. I created a character that was part wild friend with whom you go to concerts and get into trouble but also your little reliable buddy that looks out for you. 

Fashion Lab was a one time event in NYC when I and the mastermind behind it Ggrippo from Argentina decided to create an event showing off the very best of fashion that took the environment very seriously. This event was covered and attended by some very important NYC fashionistas and was very well respected. These logos were used everywhere from promotion to on site "making" at the one time event. 

Developing a logo and a brand for a company that does such quirky work was fun and challenging. borrowing from the industrial logos of the 40's and then adding the playful ideas of the company is how this cam to be. 

Several options were processed before the final choice was made by our client. The one at the lower left was chosen, broken into two colors to highlight the RV part and placed them on the magazine world map quickly making them one of the best publications in the biz seemingly overnight. 

Perfect simple print logo for a film production company. The final product was not just for print but needed to be able to be animated for the film leaders and then turned into full color 3D elements as well. This simple piece does just that. 

The European online publishing group that helps parents with the questions and simple answers to rising children at all stages needed a new logo for a specific site built for parents to be able to additionally interact together. This was the chosen logo.

The European online publishing group that helps parents with the questions and simple answers to rising children at all stages needed a new logo for a specific site built for parents to be able to additionally interact together. These were some of the additional logos I created that were not selected. The selected one is separated on its own here in my portfolio. 

This was the logo design for a wildly popular coffee house that became the meeting spot for so many in Chelsea, NYC. Variations followed for events Big Cup sponsored like the Wig Cup version shown for Wigstock, NYC and the sign and t-shirts. 

As we sorted through the logos that would be best for this completely redesigned title, we had to cover a lot of ground. These are several of the logos we went through before landing on "the one".

We were looking fun logo designed to emphasize playfulness since it is a blazon company but also that could stand up to push campy local cable ads. The idea based in the best balloons go to heaven! 

I was part of a think tank working with a publishing group under Bertelsmann. Several names for a new title were pitched and developed. Considering each detail of what the name, cover treatment said and audience it connected to best was the bulk of what we worked on together.

I was part of a think tank working with a publishing group under Bertelsmann. Several names for a new title were pitched and developed. Considering each detail of what the name, cover treatment said and audience it connected to best was the bulk of what we worked on together.

1.  S.P.A.C.E. (Society of People who have Accepted the Challenge of the Egg. design group)

2. BECOME ONE (art show about a wedding that goes terribly wrong)

3. ILLUMINATOR (tutoring big brother program)

4. LOUDER THAN WORDS (children theater company)

5. IGNITE (Personal coaching program)

6. DAISY (character logo for TeenBeat)