Matt Rogers has lived in California his entire life. He is aware of its precariousness, that it represents the California dream — sunsets and palm trees — but also devastation. The California landscape is subject to earthquakes, fires, and mudslides, which Rogers has experienced firsthand. In California, sunshine and noir are always two sides of the same coin. Utopia coexists with dystopia, and beach culture rubs shoulders with counterculture — a paradox that infuses many of Rogers’ paintings. In his work, we can sense his deep understanding of California’s complicated, dark, bright, beauty.