Jokitalo took a photography minor in Autumn 2021, which was her first proper approach to fine art photography. Her initial intention was to learn photography form to be able to take their own reference pictures to use for upcoming painting projects. Jokitalo is interested in how the feelings of the subjects are conveyed through their body, stance, and movement. Studying the body through photography helps her learn how to implement the expressions of the body into paintings.
This diptych is a self-portrait series in which the artist has no intentions of progressing further to other mediums. Jokitalo thought it would be interesting to study her feet and hands in constrained positions but ended up portraying a deeper representation of herself instead. Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography inspired this style. Similar to Mapplethorpe, Jokitalo aimed to display but also challenge images of classical beauty.
