drkrm was founded by John Matkowsky who has a twenty-five year reputation as a fine art black and white printer in Los Angeles. Mentored by Master Printer Tom Consilvio, John learned the finesse of the fine artistic print while working on the images of Gary Winogrand, William Claxton, Phil Stern and many other renowned photographers. John formed drkrm in 2005 where he continues the tradition of fine art printing. drkrm is a black & white lab dedicated to the highest quality of hand processing and fine printing, specializing in traditional, silver-gelatin printing and film processing nearly lost in today’s digital age. All work is hand processed to your specs for the highest quality available for portfolio or exhibition.

The drkrm gallery specializes in documentary and photo-journalistic work, cutting edge and alternative photographic processes and the display and survey of popular cultural images both current or historic. For the past 6 years drkrm has presented a superb and continuous array of exceptional exhibits, specializing in more under-the-radar, counterculture presentations. As owner/curator Matkowsky has never been afraid of unspoken issues; some shows were immensely stimulating while profoundly poignant, others were compelling, powerful, heart-rending, and even transforming in their relevance.

Past spectacles have include edgy oddities a la Beefcake Babylon, Found: Mid-Century Vernacular Nudes, and Haunted Hacienda, a study of the art of the Mexican horror film. Taboo and alternative subjects like ghosts, queer history, cell phone photography, prostitution, the developmentally disabled, the Edgar Allan Poe films of Roger Corman, cult filmmaker Donald Cammell and the LA Punk scene have also been explored.

drkrm has received a city proclamation from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for the SILENCE = DEATH, ActUp LA exhibit. The gallery has also received excellent acclaim in the press with numerous articles and write-ups. In one glowing review from the national magazine JUXTAPOZ, Matkowsky was called a “visionary” for his edgy, dramatic showcases.

drkrm has launched many unknown artists as well as exhibited many famous ones. Photographers showcased have included Gronk, the 3D work of Jack Laxer, Joseph Rodriguez, Scot Sothern, Philip Fagan, Anthony Friedkin, music photographer Travis Shinn, Louis Jacinto, Ryan Herz, Don Jim, Jeff Seltzer and Paul Zone.

drkrm has presented group exhibitions featuring work by Joanna Garland, Mike Salisbury, Tom Zimberoff, Marco Romano Bhimani, Ginger Liu, Marilyn Montufar, Nicholas Fedak II, Gerald Mocarsky, Paul Groh, Lauren Jack, Bryan Barnes, Stéphane Houari, Nicola Goode, Mark Thompson, James Stiles and Håkan Sjöström. drkrm has also hosted performance events, including Michael Kearns intimacies.

Submissions

We occasionally review new submissions. For consideration, please look over our site carefully and be sure that your work is compatible with our program. We will not be able to accommodate artists who stop by the gallery without an appointment. Send a link to your website or send several jpegs that represent your work. We are currently seeking photo-journalistic and documentary based work with an emphasis on historic or culturally relevant themes. We regret that we cannot respond to every submission.

owner/curator
John Matkowsky
tel 323.271.5635
drkrmgallery@gmail.com