For Verse Verse Chorus, Tim Cohen and Chelsea Wong have found common ground in their use of symbolism, repetition, and compelling color combinations. Intent on inviting viewers deep into their compositions, the two artists have worked both collaboratively and individually to create a warm, vibrant exhibit. Breathing in the culture and history that San Francisco envelops, their paintings spill the city out on paper, one idiosyncratic detail at a time.

Tim Cohen’s paintings are symmetrical yet non linear narratives in swaths of bold, bright color. Also on display are his newest works, surreal collages of his own drawings, replete with tiny multiple points of interest. A self-taught musician and visual artist, Tim composes visual works earmarked by spontaneity and a “first thought, best thought” philosophy. Also present are his life-long obsessions with sports and music, and the hazy gray-scale memories of the Pop culture of his youth. Cohen approaches each new piece as an opportunity to expound upon simple, melodic ideas. These works further explore the relationship between the permanent and the fleeting through the use of ink washes.

Chelsea Wong’s paintings depict the urban experience with a bold color palette and a slyly humorous bent. In her crowded compositions, groups of city dwellers mingle among each other, creating a strange yet inviting narrative. Text adorns her work, inviting the viewer to question the aloof attitudes of her figures. Wong’s new paintings use her characteristic fine line work and attention to essential details to present the viewer with a San Francisco that once never existed.

Tim Cohen has been in San Francisco since 2000. He is a musician known for his work with the Fresh & Onlys and Magic Trick. He currently has an art show up in Denver and previously has shown in San Francisco at Little Lodge and Vacation. Chelsea Wong began her studies at Parsons School of Design (New York, NY), and completed her BFA in Printmaking at California College of the Arts in 2010. She is the first recipient of the Hamaguchi Emerging Artists Fellowship award at Kala in Berkeley. She has exhibited at Legion (San Francisco, CA), Zinc Contemporary (Seattle, WA), and San Francisco Arts Commission.

Both artists have found a voice that speaks easily, inviting the viewer to join along in their explorative visions.

Matt Gonzalez, who has curated at Adobe Books previously, says of the show “There’s something beautifully naive about these works, which pulls you into them. They aren’t simple though. I’d say they’re highly sophisticated in composition and rendering. Plus, both in personality and art making practice, Chelsea and Tim represent a continuation of the values and aesthetics Adobe Books has always represented.”