‘Perfectionism in any creative field is the enemy’
Rod Kitson, the artist who opened the Art of Isolation studio in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, has published a book about his work and the process he goes through to ‘overcome artistic blocks’, writes Michael Holland.
I caught up with Rod at his studio-gallery, entering just as someone was leaving after having their portrait painted in two hours on a one-square-foot piece of board. A project the artist has been doing over a period of time, along with one-square-foot paintings of his flat, a series of artworks that recently attracted ITV round to film a piece for their London programme.
He was cleaning out his brushes in the back kitchen, and probably thinking about the next painting he can produce.
I wanted to know if he found the writing process difficult for his book, Ascetic // Aesthetic.
‘I tried to get into the spirit of being a writer. I got into a nice routine of morning journaling which often turned into material for the book. I have found my mind gives me most clarity for this kind of work in the early morning. I was getting up earlier and earlier, like 6am some days when it’s quiet in my room and even the ever-present drone of Lower Road has yet to crank into gear.’
He says he wrote too much and spent a long time editing; ‘more time editing than writing’, he says while putting the kettle on.
Has writing been a cathartic experience?
It gave me pause for reflection. The meat of the book focuses on my square-foot daily paintings of my apartment, which make up an everyday-building, life-sized jigsaw of my living space. It’s a compulsive art-production style which, by design, generally does not leave any space for self-reflection… My profile has risen dramatically through the squares work, and is what most people know me for. So I wanted to use the book as a showcase of the other artwork I have made. So I looked back at all the different projects I had done, exhibitions in my studio-gallery in Surrey Quays over the years: Blue Lotus in particular I have fond memories of. A lockdown-inspired reboot of life drawings which were stacked up dormant as I paced in imposed isolation, before developing a Fauvist colour style infused with escapist fantasy of swashbuckling heroism, wistful mythology and mash-up iconography. Busy work, busy boy.’
That was a lot of big words that left me not knowing if the answer was yes or no. But I did enjoy him miming the ‘swashbuckling heroism’ bit, using a paintbrush as his rapier.
As I considered how to word the next question, the swashbuckler was off again: ‘I learned from writing Ascetic // Aesthetic that I am a deep person and I didn’t realise that I could be articulate and interesting in expressing that. I found a playfulness and enjoyment in writing that I hadn’t known in it before. I learned that everything takes work and to trust the process. Perfectionism in any creative field is the enemy… My philosophy is: bash it out, get everything down. That’s the fun part. Then edit. Objectively. That’s the hard part – I am incredibly fastidious, hardcore obsessive when I get the bit between my teeth. My approach to work generally starts with being distracted, avoidant, indolent and disinterested. But once I’m locked in and I care about something I go full hyperfocus. I think I might have ADHD or one of them neurodiverses.’
My immediate thought was, “No shit, Sherlock?”, but I think my eyes gave it away too, because when I asked how long the writing took, his next answer was just two words long: ‘Not long.’
My eyebrows lifted as I recalled him five minutes ago telling me how long the editing took. He knew that I knew… Our eyes met over our coffee mugs. Staring. Daring… I blinked first and asked what Ascetic // Aesthetic was about.
‘It is about my process. What I think I offer – in terms of a USP – is my approach to overcoming artistic blocks or resistance to doing the art. My strategies and how the square foot pieces of my flat started as one thing in 2018: the Ascetic, before turning into something else when I restarted it in 2025: the Aesthetic. If you want to know more…buy the book!’
How much is it?
‘£40.’
Okay. But I have more questions.
Tell me more about the process.
‘I didn’t realise how much work I had produced in the last decade until I wrote this book. It’s crazy levels of delusional self-belief and myopic focus that has got me to where I am now. That’s what I think I have that a lot of my artistic heroes had: a psychotic drive to produce and to be seen.’
Do you ever relax?
‘I find it hard to relax. I’m always thinking about painting or how I’m going to get better at painting or how I’m going to get my painting out to more people. I like chilling with my mates, cos I’ve got a few good ones. Hanging with good people is good times.’
I paid him in notes, grabbed my book and stepped out into the shopping mall. The artist came to the door and shouted after me, ‘Michael Holland, you’re a great man!’ as he waved the four tenners.
Ascetic // Aesthetic can be bought here for less than £40: https://www.dashbook.fr/book/ascetic-aesthetic
