Nick Mele photographs the world like a play that’s just begun, curtains half-drawn, props slightly askew, everyone dressed for a part they may or may not remember. At first glance, his images suggest old-world glamour: manicured lawns, crystal decanters, well-dressed figures posing beneath chandeliers. But linger a second longer and a different story emerges: dogs in chairs, children mid-chaos, a family dinner teetering on the edge of absurdity. It’s in that in-between space, where polish meets pandemonium, that Mele thrives.

Mele’s work is less about perfection and more about the theater of it all. His photographs not only document but stage scenes. Whether he’s shooting his own family in Palm Beach or crafting a portrait inside a Newport mansion, there’s always a sense of knowing exaggeration, a wink to the viewer that says, “Yes, this is ridiculous. Isn’t it great?”

That sense of play comes from a deep understanding of the worlds he photographs. He isn’t an outsider peeking in, he grew up in these spaces, the grandson of legendary hostess Oatsie Charles, whose reputation for throwing parties as grand as her opinions lives on in stories and, now, in her grandson’s lens. But where his grandmother lived in earnest, Mele inserts irony. He captures not just the beauty of a place, but the self-awareness required to live in it.

There’s something quietly subversive about that. At a time when much of lifestyle photography leans into fantasy, Mele leans into farce. He knows the fantasy already exists, the oceanfront estates, the gilded wallpaper, the martinis at noon. What he’s interested in is the absurdity we all bring to those spaces: the way we perform comfort, elegance, tradition. How often the most ‘refined’ environments are also the most chaotic behind the scenes.

His camera catches it all with affection, never mockery. A Christmas tree so overdecorated it might tip over. A breakfast table that looks like a painting until you notice the cereal explosion in the corner. A hallway so grand it dwarfs its tiny dog inhabitants. Each image suggests that beauty isn’t about control, it’s about character. That elegance is most interesting when it’s interrupted.

That balance - between grandeur and mess, heritage and humor - is exactly what makes Nick Mele’s work resonate. In a world obsessed with curation, he offers composition. Not just images, but scenes. Not just aesthetic, but attitude.

He shows us that life, like art, is a performance. The trick is remembering you’re in on it.