LINDSEY KUSTUSCH & NATE ROSS
Stronger Together
Husband-wife duo Nate Ross and Lindsey Kustusch have a relentless support for one another—and as fellow artists, they understand each other’s passions and pitfalls like not many others can. Kustusch is an established figure in the art world, while Ross is an animator, working on visual effects in films like The Last Jedi. However, in the last four years, with the mentorship and expertise of his wife, Ross has honed his skills as a painter, exploring his passion for fine art in his off time. Simply put, Ross and Kustusch live and breathe art.
From August 30 to September 17, the artists will exhibit new works at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco, the first show to feature just the two of them alone.
A native of the Bay Area, Ross studied animation at the Academy of Art University and currently works for Tippett Studio, a prominent animation and media production company. Fine art and painting, however, have always been highly regarded by Ross, and it was in a painting class in college that he and Kustusch first met.
“She’s the best painter I’ve ever seen,” says Ross. “Aside from her being my wife, there is a real intense respect between us from artist to artist.” Often, Kustusch acts as a mentor for Ross in terms of developing his technique, so Ross says there is a certain excitement in having a studentteacher dynamic to the show as well. And the relationship is symbiotic: they motivate each other to continue painting even when it feels tough or when they don’t feel like they’re in a place to create, Ross explains. “Throughout my painting
career, I’ve always had him as a second pair of eyes,” says Kustusch.
While both Ross and Kustusch paint cityscapes, they have fundamentally different aesthetics. Kustusch looks at scenes from a larger viewpoint, creating beautiful sweeping landscapes focusing on vast structures, and Ross takes a more intimate approach, looking closely at the smaller things like little side streets and alleyways. “I try to hone in on those scenes that are the sort of calm within the chaos,” says Ross. With their powers combined, they can tell a more complete story, Kustusch explains.
“[San Francisco is] a beautiful city with so many different personalities and so many different realities for people,” explains Kustusch. In past exhibitions, the artist says she’s focused on specific themes in cityscapes, but with this show, she is attempting to tell a more holistic story. This body of work captures “all of the different seasons, the times of day, a little bit of foggy night, a little bit of sun bleached hills rolling through the city, a little bit of Chinatown.”
“After trying a bunch of different things in life... creating is when I am the happiest,” says Kustusch. She adds that even during the high stress, the pressure and the hardships, all of it is meaningful.
An opening reception will be held at the gallery on September 9 from 4 to 6 p.m.