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Greetings, instant film lovers. Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series that chronicles interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we are happy to bring you Anielika Sykes…

My fascination with water and light are at the heart of this series of diptychs in which self-portraits are paired with still life photographs. My Polaroid SX-70 Sonar camera, Impossible Project PX 70 film, water – first boiled, then cold – and hot press water colour paper are the tools that have allowed me to manipulate physical images. The process of being submersed in water has resulted in loose transfers to assume new life beyond the surface.

Each set of diptychs aims to relate the notion of memory: one, a self portrait in which I look out from a familiar place associated with childhood; and the other, a still life meant to capture treasured objects associated with someone the child holds dear. The self-portraits are for the most part, shot in the High Park area in Toronto. The still life photographs are shot at home, and include a favourite jacket worn by my late father, my great grandmother’s prayer book, and my mother’s old typewriter.

Why choose to shoot with the SX-70 Sonar instead of a more current, state-of-the-art camera? Because the photographs that emerge seem to have a timeless nature, each capturing the essence of a subject in the moment, each somehow raw and unique, each one different from the next. The Impossible Project has allowed me to transform an original photograph into an uniquely altered image, which has been incredibly significant in developing my vision as a photographer. In allowing myself to embrace the natural elements of water and light, I have glimpsed beyond the surface.