To Make the Rains Come, Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, Brazil Possibly 1999 - 2001

Fazal Sheikh made this photograph, "To Make the Rains Come," in Brazil's Grande Sertão Veredas National Park. Captured with a camera and traditional darkroom processes, this print presents an image of an anthill set within the scrubby landscape. Sheikh’s choice of black and white film emphasizes the textures and tones of the anthill's coarse surface. The print is carefully composed, drawing our eye to the forms shaped by the labor of countless insects. The image's material presence is heightened by the artist’s printing technique, which brings a sense of depth and detail to the surface. Sheikh's photograph invites us to consider the environmental context of this landscape. The text beneath the image evokes the social rituals tied to the natural world, suggesting the human labor required to maintain a harmonious relationship with nature. Through the interplay of image and text, Sheikh encourages us to look beyond the surface of the photograph and reflect on the cultural and ecological dimensions of this environment, where the activities of humans and insects are intertwined.