Kris’ works are gritty — both literally and figuratively — gray and layered, his subjects are centrally focused over a massaged background. Born out of necessity, he engineered what was available for a base. Practiced over time and throughout many paintings this strategy became his style — matching subject matter to canvas and frame. Used cardboard, worn and tattered tarps stapled to one-by-fours, boxes and dismantled furniture are just a few of the starting points for a Kris Gebhardt “paintumentary.” Each one tells a story about someone he has met, worked with and known — whether that is an actual person, the archetype of a being or himself.