Behind the Hedges: Will Vogt's insider photos of the gilded elite

Will Vogt's second monograph, Behind the Hedges, published by Schilt Publishing, offers an intimate look at the American upper class over nearly 60 years. The book features photographs of his social circle at hunting estates, weddings, annual rituals, exclusive club lunches, and golf weekends, primarily in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and other elite enclaves. Vogt's images capture the choreography of privilege with a tableau-like aesthetic, shifting from his first monograph's raw snapshot style. The book includes quotes by Vogt and an essay by editor Jennifer Garza-Cuen titled 'Posture of Privilege.' Notable images include a wedding parade in Watch Hill, a voyage to Uruguay via Gulfstream, and a double rainbow over a partridge drive in Wiltshire. Vogt cites influences from Robert Frank, Allen Frame, and Garza-Cuen. The work documents a community adept at weathering change while maintaining self-reproduction, reflecting the new gilded age of vast wealth inequality.