It Is My Party, Too is a photographic series exploring the emotional complexity of the American birthday ritual. Through 44 staged portraits of James Saxon with industrial “cakes,” lit candles, and formal poses, the work questions performative celebration, cultural expectation, and agency. Stripped of spontaneity, the images reveal both comfort and alienation. This quiet critique invites reflection on the rituals we accept without question—and the realities we construct through them.
Philip Ringler is a contemporary artist and educator whose photography explores themes of simulation, artifice, and cultural critique. With a background in fine art, photojournalism, and commercial photography, his work blends philosophical inquiry with a distinct visual style. He has exhibited internationally and taught photography at the university level, sharing his expertise in both traditional and digital techniques. His images invite viewers to reconsider perception, reality, and the complexities of the human experience.
