Buffed and Polished Women on Rodeo Drive Photographed Stealthy Through Their Car Window

The drama of life can be full of poignant junctures. You can see humanity and vulnerability through the glimpse of a private moment. These pictures attempt to scrutinize the apex of public and private space; to document the psychic realm that makes up a large part of us all.—Michael Butler

Los Angeles-based photographer Michael Butler catches the fleeting glances of the rich along the four-block stretch of Rodeo Drive, a Californian hub for luxury and glamour. Peering through the glass, Butler uses the passing car windows as a physical and social metaphor of the separation that exists between the elite and those who watch them. The faces appear a caricature of larger stories of the rich and famous, simultaneously powerful and solitary behind the pane. It is this blend of extravagance and melancholy that makes Butler’s work so interesting. We watch, we wonder, and we judge the silent figures, speeding away to a life of everyday triumph and tragedy unknown.

This post was contributed by photographer and Feature Shoot Editorial Assistant Jenna Garrett.

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