Da Region Painting

A collector of Gebhardt paintings asked the contemporary art world mixed media artist to create a special painting commemorating his childhood hometown, "The Region," which refers to the northwestern region of Indiana bordering Chicago. Also known as "Da Region," a section of the Chicago Metropolitan Area that spills over past the Indiana border, creating a unique and diverse place that seems to be orphaned to a quadrant of its own and often regarded as the black sheep of the state. Kris Gebhardt, known for his large head and figure paintings, also has a following of collectors who appreciate his unusual depictions of animals such as horses, bulls, and elephants. For "Da Region," Gebhardt painted a six-foot-tall rat with an albino monkey sitting on its tail, holding a skull with a king's crown - on an extra large hand-wrapped 88" x 77" canvas. The rat represents the "Region Rat," known for its steelworkers, who were referred to as "millrats." It has become the respected mascot of the Lake County region. The odd albino white monkey represents the "outcast," and the skull and crown signify "Crown Point," the town in the region where the collector grew up. The rat is painted against a dark fading to light background on distressed canvas, signifying both the light and dark, and the complexities of growing up in an "unattached" place like "Da Region." The collector will add the painting to his collection and display it at his 50-acre estate.