Scott Bakal’s Dim Stars: Alien Transport series, featured in the current exhibition Tall Tales at 13FOREST, is the culmination of several years of creative exploration. Starring Bakal’s long-running Dim Stars character, Dim Stars: Alien Transport reimagines classic American UFO sightings as encounters with Bakal’s friendly alien creature:

On July 26 1947, two days after Kenneth Arnold’s experience of seeing a flying object while flying his own plane, the press coined the term ‘Flying Saucer’ and ‘Flying Disc.’ The series is a collection of flying saucers and spaceships as seen in the early days of the phenomenon. Flying saucers started being spotted regularly, but they were always hazy descriptions or photos taken with the technology of the time. For the last 77 years, government agencies have been keeping what these ships actually looked like from the people. This is the world's first reveal of some of the planet's favorite flying saucers, what they really looked like, and who inhabited them.

Bakal’s interpretations of the Kenneth Arnold Sighting, the McMinnville UFO, and the Lubbock Lights comprise two paintings each, one with Bakal’s representation of the UFO from the sighting, and one showing the craft in use by the Dim Stars. In addition to the paintings, Bakal has compiled contemporaneous newspaper clippings, photos, and interviews for each sighting, which are linked below. You can see more work from Dim Stars: Alien Transport here.

Scott Bakal, *The Arrival*, acrylic and ink on panel

Use the link here to find out more public and top secret information on the Kenneth Arnold Sighting, such as original drawings, audio recordings and news clippings, including comments from the National Air and Space Museum on this first historic event. This sighting coined the phrase ‘flying saucer.’

Scott Bakal, *Kenneth Arnold Sighting*, graphite and silver leaf on panel

Scott Bakal, *Kenneth Arnold Sighting: Class One Fighter*, acrylic and ink on panel

Use the link here to find out more public and top secret information on the McMinnville UFO, such as original photos, newspaper clippings, a LIFE magazine clipping and interviews with Evelyn Trent, wife of Paul Trent, who took the photos.

Scott Bakal, *McMinnville UFO*, graphite and silver leaf on panel

Scott Bakal, *McMinnville UFO: Communications Vehicle*, acrylic and ink on panel

Use the link here to find out more public and top secret information on the Lubbock Lights, such as original photos, newspaper clippings and video documentary. Includes top secret alien technology information never released to the public.