What defines American culture? The answer is not so obvious. The French have their cheese and their wine; the English have their tea and the monarchy. In our vast, relatively young nation of hundreds of millions, the threads that bind us are hardly evident. With a documentary photography project that she started in 1992, LA-based Lauren Greenfield has identified and focused on one cultural strain in particular that seems unavoidable. In her 500-page book and accompanying exhibition at The Annenberg Space for Photography, Generation Wealth, Lauren examines one defining aspect of our times: our preoccupation with and desire for affluence.

Perhaps best known for her documentary, The Queen of Versailles, about the Florida billionaires forced to halt the construction of their enormous estate in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis, Lauren has long been concerned with the investigation of social anomalies and trends alike. Generation Wealth began with Lauren reflecting on her own upbringing, taking pictures of students enrolled at her alma mater, a private high school in Santa Monica. In LA, displays of wealth in the form of McMansions and fast cars seems unavoidable. With a capitalist economy at the heart of our nation’s identity and the election of Donald Trump, an archetypal figure of wealth and status, the subject seems all the more pertinent on a macro level. In compiling some 650 images, Lauren explores everything from materialism to celebrity culture, honing in on cornerstones of our contemporary society. The portraits are accompanied by stories of those portrayed, giving personal insight into their environments, belongings, and ambitions.

Lauren travels throughout the world, from Russia to China, to examine the impact of Western ideals; one extreme example being a Chinese billionaire that has replicated the White House. These more lavish cases are accompanied by a diverse array of portraits, demonstrating how pervasive of a cultural force Lauren has tapped into. Members of the middle class trying to fit into the culture of spending are included along with celebrities like Kim and the Kardashian clan and Tupac. Generation Wealth investigates the point at which we’re satisfied. What is enough? In America, the sky is the limit.