Maybe you can live on the moon in the next century – Fiona Rae at Towner, Eastbourne

I don’t know why it is, but I always feel slightly anxious about getting the ‘right answer’ when it comes to the visual arts. This isn’t something that bothers me with books or theatre or film, but I often feel a bit self-conscious about my response to paintings.

Of course, I know that there’s no ‘right answer’ really. And I also know that Towner – and art galleries up and down the country – are doing their best to reach out to people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves ‘art people’. So, in that spirit, here’s what I thought about the exhibition of 16 of Fiona Rae’s paintings, collectively titled Maybe you can live on the moon in the next century.

The first thing to note (in my typical, word-focused fashion) is that the artist likes long titles. As well as the painting from which the exhibition draws its name, there are pieces called The woman who can do self expression will shine through all eternity and We go in search of our dream, amongst others. I chose to read the titles as part of the works of art rather than as optional extras. Indeed, in the case of The woman who can do..., the words are inscribed on the canvas alongside the painted pinks, purples, bunnies and flowers.

A lot of the titles, read in conjunction with the paintings, seem like they could be ironic. Are we really meant to accept a largely pink canvas with cartoon rabbits on it as an example of a woman’s self expression? Feminist that I am, I can hardly believe so – and so I assume it’s ironic. And yet, the artist is a woman, and this work is some form of expression from her. Suddenly it’s making me think of As You Like It, with the girls playing boys playing girls. Only this time, it’s woman playing woman.

As with Bright Young Things, it’s all a bit postmodern. Just like in Scarlett Thomas’ book, these paintings bring a jumble of ‘narratives’ together. The introductory text in the Towner’s exhibition describes this jumble as ‘competing and sometimes clashing visual, graphic and painterly languages’. So alongside the more traditional painting techniques on the canvas, there are also little animé-style pandas, pieces of floating typography, and glitter – lots of glitter.

High art merges with popular culture and we’re presented with something that seems to raise an ironic eyebrow at itself.

I have no idea if any of this comes close to the ‘right answer’ or general consensus on Fiona Rae’s work. But I’m going to trust my postmodern instincts and claim it as my answer.

The exhibition runs at the Towner until 23rd June 2013 and entry is free. We like free entry. I stopped in at this exhibition on my way to the seafront, and I may well not have made the diversion out of the Eastbourne sunshine if it hadn't been free.