‘There is no innocent landscape’, landscape is a container of history’ (Anselm Kiefer).

The topography of the land has an effect on the weather and vice versa , it is a reciprocal relationship. The high desert mountain ranges of the American Southwest attract magnificent weather systems often bringing spectacular cloud formations that pass their shadows over the land, promising desperately needed moisture. These water systems are temptresses - bitter rainless clouds. The Tewa peoples of the Rio Grande and Rio Chama lands attribute the sacred to, and respect and revere all aspects of the desert. Ritual ceremonies are performed following annual cycles which are believed to impact not only the way of life of the people but also directly affect the weather and land. The indigenous people are ‘weather watchers’ , paying close attention to the topography of the land formations and sky and finding pathways to call out and seed the ‘bitter clouds’ .