11,000 4 x 6 photographs + 135 hours to install= The Optical Chapel

You’ll just have to take our word for it that this was an amazing installation.Last month, Photographer David A. Brown created The Optical Chapel for The F Stops Here, a group exhibition in conjunction with Fotofest 2012. Paul Davis, Lokey Photo, George Hixson, Ezekiel Solis were all part of the group show. “The Optical Chapel installation is an exploration into too much information. For the past several years, my practice has focused on perception, exploring the biological and cultural factors that help us individually construct a shared reality. My intent with the Optical Chapel was to make a contemplative space within the construct of too much information.” – David A. Brown

David A. Brown (DABFOTO)
713.416.2633 mail@dabfoto.com
www.dabfoto.com

Photography by paulrdavisphoto.com

Still Novo Design

Barrel Crate

We love Still Novo Design’s barrel crate. Made of recycled oak from discarded French wine barrels, every stave is individually sanded back to its original wood and creatively reinvented. As no one barrel band is ever the same, each piece might show natural imperfections, slight variations in color, grain & dimensions, all adding to the uniqueness of every item. The design allows you to contain, store and easily carry bottles of either beer or wine (dimensions vary accordingly) or it’s a great organization tool for your recyclable bottles. Plus, the crates can be stacked one on top of the other. StillNovo says. “We love the fact that we are able to help the environment by recycling the raw material and to turn it into an object of ‘practical elegance’ at the same time.” We couldn’t agree more!
www.etsy.com/listing/59285557/the-barrel-crate-recycled-wine-barrel

Alarm Dock

It doesn’t get more simple than this: a perfectly carved wooden base that you slip your iPhone into and connect to charge. No speakers, no electronics – just a beautiful chunk carved from sustainably harvested, new growth, beech wood.
We downloaded a basic flip clock app that turns the whole thing nostalgic.

Available at Kuhl-Linscomb
or www.areaware.com

Photography by Gabriella Nissen

Saddleback Leather

Quality and construction marry perfectly in this Indiana Jones-worthy briefcase by Texas-based (and Texas-sized) Saddleback Leather. The leather bags boast indestructible structure and generous proportion. Few men can walk past it at 002 headquarters without stopping to admire it. (Yes, it’s that great.) Available in a variety of shades, the rich dark leather satchel carries an heirloom-level quality without the heirloom price tag.

The craftsmanship makes the pieces truly luxurious and they will outlive you…your children, their children and so on. There are no breakable parts like zippers or snaps; they are lined with super-durable pigskin, stitched with industrial marine-grade thread; and formed from as few pieces of leather as possible to reduce seams which weaken bags.
 
Long story short, Saddleback founder Dave Munson scoured local markets, while volunteering as an English teacher in Mexico, for a bag to hold lesson plans but tough enough to endure the rough-and-tumble life in Juarez. Failing to find what he needed, he commissioned a local leather maker to craft the perfect bag – and Saddleback Leather was born. Nothing is quite that simple; for the whole story and videos of the bags in action being attacked by a crocodile in Australia or shark diving in Bora Bora, visit www.saddlebackleather.com. Munson’s whole story is worth the visit.

Photography by Gabriella Nissen

Saddleback Leather

VITAMIXblenders

Vitamix blenders have been around since 1921 and professional chefs have been using them for decades. Considered the Bentley of blenders, once you’ve experienced the power behind a Vitamix, you’ll never be able to use a regular blender. The fourth-generation,American-operated business strives for perfection which is evident in the incredibly well-made blenders.

The blenders are BPA-free with all the parts made and researched in the USA with the exception of the motor, which is sourced in Sweden and used only after extensive engineering test found them to be the most efficient. what sets Vitamix apart is a switch allowing maximum speed delivery to the blades at any time rather than stepping through lower speeds building to the max. Exceptional smoothies made with all sorts of greens are blended to perfection, as are soups, peanut butters and even almond milk.

For more information, contact local distributor Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram. kristina@rawfullyorganic.com

Photography by Gabriella Nissen