Book Review: "Why Am I Sad" by Dana Stirling
We live in a world that often feels like it’s unraveling at the seams. Our struggles to navigate societal expectations, family dynamics, and mental health challenges leave many of us feeling unmoored. Society promises happiness through stability, success, and connection, yet for countless individuals, these aspirations remain out of reach or, when achieved, fail to deliver the fulfillment they were supposed to. Even with the semblance of achievement, there is often an undercurrent of sadness that lingers, prompting questions that have no easy answers: why do we still feel unfulfilled? How do we reconcile the pursuit of joy with the weight of isolation and shame? Dana Stirling’s Why Am I Sad doesn’t promise to solve these riddles, but it offers a space to explore them through the lens of photography. Stirling uses the medium as both a mirror to confront her own emotions and a lifeline to navigate the complexities of mental health. Her work transforms her personal struggles into something universal, opening up a conversation that feels both intimate and collective.
Stirling’s motivation for creating Why Am I Sad stems from her need to make sense of her emotional landscape while offering a platform for shared introspection. Growing up in a home shaped by her mother’s struggles with clinical depression, Stirling developed an acute awareness of the silences, isolation, and complexities that often accompany mental health challenges. Photography became her outlet—a way to externalize emotions that were otherwise inexpressible. Her process is both deeply personal and deliberately meditative. Using her medium-format Mamiya RZ67 and the vivid tones of Kodak Ektar 100 film, she allows objects and moments to find her rather than actively seeking them out. This organic approach mirrors her belief that meaning surfaces naturally through patience and observation. The book itself was born out of a desire to translate these introspective moments into a cohesive narrative, one that could transform individual pain into collective understanding. For Stirling, the images are more than photographs; they are emotional translations, an act of connection that bridges her internal struggles with those of her audience. In Why Am I Sad, the act of creation becomes a means of navigating the heavy terrain of sadness and extending a lifeline to others who may feel similarly adrift.
Look Up, Rhodell, WV, 2021
Motel, Saloma, AZ, 2021
At its core, Why Am I Sad is a deeply personal exploration of Stirling’s experiences with depression and familial challenges, translated into a visual language that transcends words. Across its 112 pages, Stirling’s 60 photographs construct a narrative that communicates through suggestion rather than declaration. Her images avoid the muted palettes and heavy shadows traditionally associated with melancholy, opting instead for saturated hues that pulse with emotional energy. These vibrant colors, juxtaposed against elements of quiet disarray, embody the tension between outward brightness and inner struggle. Stirling’s work challenges conventional depictions of sadness, offering instead a layered perspective that draws attention to the interplay of surface and depth, transforming the mundane into emotional signifiers that resonate not simply as visual statements but as portals to universal emotion.
The brilliance of Why Am I Sad lies in its refusal to present sadness in predictable terms. In one particularly evocative image, a weathered roadside sign bearing the bold, luminous words "LOOK UP" stands in stark contrast to its surroundings—a desolate parking lot and a dim, overcast sky. The sign's optimism feels at odds with the neglected scene, suggesting an ironic yet poignant message about the complexity of hope amid despair. Similarly, a photograph of a sprawling cactus intertwined with a decaying motel sign explores the tension between vitality and decay, embodying the persistence of life in barren circumstances. Stirling’s compositions don’t declare their meanings outright; instead, they quietly urge introspection. Each image whispers, nudges, and leaves room for viewers to interpret and project their own emotions, creating a dialogue between artist and audience that is both intimate and universal.
Graveside Smile, Manns Choice, PA, 2021
The physicality of Why Am I Sad is an essential part of its storytelling, reinforcing the emotional resonance of Dana Stirling’s photographs. The book’s design and sequencing, crafted in collaboration with Kehrer Publishing, reflect a deliberate effort to create an experience that mirrors the nuances of her work. Its Swiss-bound spine and minimalist cover—marked by a torn happy face graphic—immediately set the tone. This is not a book that hands you answers; instead, it invites you into a reflective dialogue where every page turn feels purposeful. The sequencing, a careful interplay of moments both quiet and vibrant, ensures that each image is given the space to breathe and resonate.
In closing, Dana Stirling’s Why Am I Sad invites us to sit with the complexities of sadness and mental health, embracing their contradictions without demanding resolution. Through vibrant, introspective photographs and thoughtful design, the book transforms personal struggles into a collective reflection. It reminds us that while answers may remain elusive, the act of questioning—and the connections we form along the way—offers its own kind of solace. As of January 2025, there are still copies available. Order your’s here.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
"Why Am I Sad" by Dana Stirling
Texts by Dana Stirling
Designed by Kehrer Design (Nicole Gehlen)
Swiss brochure with silk screen and embossed
20 × 24 cm
112 pages
60 color ills.
English
ISBN 978-3-96900-159-2
Euro 44,00 / US$ 52.00
Available for purchase Here!
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Dana Stirling is a fine art photographer and the Co-Founder & Editor In-Chief of Float Photo Magazine since 2014. Originally from Jerusalem Israel, Dana is now based in Queens New York. She received her MFA from The School Of Visual Arts in Photography, Video, and Related Media in 2016 and her BA from Hadassah College Jerusalem in Photographic Communications in 2013.
Her work has been exhibited in group show including, Candela Books + Gallery VA, The Rockaway Artists Alliance NY, Vermont Center for Photography, Lafayette College PA, Radiator Gallery NY, Fresh Paint Art Festival Israel, Bezalel Gallery Israel, Inga Gallery Israel, Tel Hai Museum of Photography Israel, Brick Lane Gallery UK, Saatchi Gallery UK and others.
Features of her work have appeared in Buzzfeed, C41 Magazine, Too Tired Project, Humble Arts Foundation, Musée Magazine, One Twelve Magazine, She Shoots Film Magazine, FishEye Paris, Aint-Bad Magazine, European Photography Magazine, The Week Photo Blog, Feature Shoot, Hyperallergic, PetaPixel, It’s Nice That, Fast Co. Design, Lensculture, Der Grief Magazine, Lenscratch, The Telegraph Newspaper, Israel Ha'yom Newspaper and others.
Her hand-made artist book is a part of these select library collections, Yale University, Mass Art College of Art and Design collection, Savannah College of Art and Design collection and Goldsmith University, London.
She was awarded the , Shutter Hub YEARBOOK Award (2021), NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow Finalist in Photography from The New York Foundation for the Arts (2019), Gross Foundation-Grant for Excellency in photography (2013) and Google Photography Prize, Final Ten at Saatchi Gallery (2012).
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Michael Behlen is an instant film addict and the founder and publisher of Analog Forever Magazine. Behlen is an obsessive community organizer in the film photography world, including previously launching the independent publishing projects PRYME Magazine and PRYME Editions, two enterprises dedicated to the art of instant film. Through these endeavors, he has featured and published 250+ artists from around the globe via his print and online publications.
He has self-published two Polaroid photobooks -“Searching for Stillness, Vol. 1” and “I Was a Pioneer,” literally a boxed set of his instant film work. His latest book, Searching for Stillness Vol II was published in 2020 by Static Age.
Behlen’s Polaroid photography can be found in various publications including Diffusion Magazine, Fraction Magazine, Seities Magazine, and Polaroid Now (Chronicle Books, 2021). He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; its addictive qualities as you watch it develop. He spends his time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two. Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram!
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