Kim’s Game

Photographs, 2011

“Kim was the hero of the eponymous tale by Kipling. He was being trained for his secret service work on behalf of the British Raj — the Great Game. His training was conducted using stones on a tray. Now slides and video clips are used but essentially the training is the same. The advantages of Kim’s Game are that it is easy to conduct, it can be carried out in doors, and it is directly relevant to tracking in that it develops and sharpens both observational skills and, just as importantly, the memory.”
– The SAS Guide to Tracking, page 53.

Small discrete objects that I find while hiking Mount Livermore near Marfa, TX are photographed and enlarge to approximate my height. The name, “Kim’s Game Series”, is taken from Rudyard Kipling's novel, Kim, set in 19th century India. Kim is trained as a young spy for Britain by playing a game of observation. Blindfolded he is presented with a group of similar small jewels. He must quickly identify the material and color of each jewel. A version of this game is still used in military training.