The JPEGS OF SEPARATIONS challenge is off to a good start! Our friend and excellent photographer, Joshua Dudley Greer, came up with this creative idea on Instagram and has let us join in on the fun. In this game, one person sends another individual two unrelated pictures. The challenge is to connect them using 8 photographs, ultimately creating a sequence of 10 images in total. Connections can be based on concept, content or form, but no artist can be repeated.

This past week, I got the distinct honor of challenging my long time mentor and photo dad, Osamu James Nakagawa, to a round. James was my professor and advisor when I attended the photography program at Indiana University. He was a tough and demanding teacher; he always held us to the same high standards of quality and work ethic that he applied to himself. In my opinion, James’ greatest talent is how he skillfully critiques work. He has an uncanny ability to see the heart of a project, and know just which way to push it so that it can realize its full potential.

Many years later, in our life as a commercial gallery, James became the first artist that we represented. As Pictura has transitioned into a non-profit, we have continued to create ways to collaborate. He was one of the first people I thought of when we started this challenge, and luckily for me, he was game to play!

This is the sequence that James made: 

Image Credits: 01 Man Ray / 02 Patrick Nagatani / 03 Ken Kitano / 04 Elliott Erwitt / 05 Lieko Shiga / 06 Jo Ann Callis / 07 Rebecca Drolen / 08 James Nakagawa / 09 Lee Friedlander / 10 Brian Ulrich

Even after all this time, I think James secretly relishes being able to assign me homework, so he gave me a challenge as well. Here are the 2 images that he sent me:

This is the sequence that I built:

2^nd Sequence Image Credits: 01 Tokihiro Sato / 02 Majid Khaleghi / 03 Duane Michals / 04 Julie Renee Jones / 05 Clarissa Bonet / 06 Aaron Colussi / 07 Bill Guy / 08 Bertien Van Manen / 09 Greta Pratt / 10 Kelvin Burzon

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be reaching out to our photographic friends- artists, curators and editors and inviting them to join in on the game with us. If you care to play, then here are the rules of engagement:

Send a friend 2 unrelated pics. They must connect them using 8 photographs, ultimately creating a sequence of 10 images in total. Connections can be based on concept, content, or form, but no artist can be repeated.

• Tag your Challenger
• List and tag (if possible) all the artists you featured. Make sure to list them in proper order in your caption as well.

Use #jpegsofseparation

Send a challenge to us, or on to another! If you care to, you are allowed to make up 1 extra rule specifically designed just for them.

Please join us and play!

- Mia