511 Gallery is pleased to present The Shape Shifter, ten photographs by emerging artist John Klukas that explore the realm of surrealism and the dynamic nature of the human form. The female assuming a wide array of emotions and appearances, these works demonstrate her transience, and, resounding with Klukas's personal ambition as a photographer, the series also serves as a representative image of beauty within an autonomous individual, who deliberately chooses her own form of self-identity.

The photographs are of the same woman, who, in each image, reveals a dramatically differing self. A number of pictures, for example, emphasize her femininity, her body draped in heavy fabrics and head tilted back in a sultry pose. Others show a more wrathful, androgynous figure with chest bared and body contorted. She is not a static character but rather one of complexity who cannot be defined in a single word. The collective images show a progressive series of the woman and alternate between dream-like states, evoking a surreal yet very realistic portrayal of her essential character. With the ability to change forms, she ultimately becomes an individual with the power to create and alter herself. Klukas's choice of black and white film preserves a lasting image of the Shape Shifter, as if documenting the core of a continuously changing individual.

John Klukas is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and took his B.A. at the University of Minnesota, where he majored in Psychology. Shortly after graduating, he began to explore photography through a number of media- -architecture, LP album covers, fashion, and fine arts. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles Art Association and in magazines such as Fabrik and S Magazine. The artist lives in New York City.