Maude Salon has 'A Bee in Her Bonnet'

Cradle, Noelle McCleaf

​The "Mad Maid's Song," written by Robert Herrick in the year 1648, describes a girl's lover who is killed by a bee sting. The girl is driven mad by her loss. Noelle McCleaf's first solo exhibition, "A Bee in Her Bonnet," was inspired by this tragic tune. However, instead of lost lovers it is a show that explores reunions between mothers and daughters.

Altered Esthetics will present McCleaf's photography at a satellite show hosted at Maude Salon.

The artist's photos have a Gothic sense about them, featuring sullen-looking women in unkempt, outdoor settings. There is a loneliness to her images, perhaps the kind that accompany a just-ended relationship, or the awkwardness of rekindling one. Whatever the case may be, it looks like McCleaf has taken photos in environments where there has been a fight; the surroundings are often disheveled and, in some of the photos, the mess looks as though it's been around for years. Going mad is a messy undertaking, after all, and isn't something that's easy to clean up after.

"A Bee in Her Bonnet" opens with a reception on Saturday, August 20 at 6:30 p.m. and will continue to be on display through October 11.at Maude Salon, 1224 Quincy Street NE #135 in Minneapolis.