Alain Briot Fine Art Photography

• Roswell •

The city of Roswell, in New Mexico, has become in many ways the UFO capital of the United States, if not the world. The city's fame is due to the discovery of an unidentified flying object (UFO) in 1947. Weather this object was man-made or originated from another world is the center of a controversy that started 60 years ago and continues to this day. Different theories have been proposed to explain what remains largely a mystery.

I am not here to take a stand but rather to present photographs taken in Roswell in the winter of 2007. Part of downtown Roswell is dedicated to Alien-themed products. The center of attention is the UFO musem, with around it numerous stores that sell Alien-related mechandise. While the museum approaches the subject seriously, most of the stores have a humorous take on the subject. In Roswell, Aliens, are part of everyday life. Whether they really exist or not is another matter.

Below are photographs taken inside and outside the stores and the museum, together with short captions. My interest was not to create "fine art photographs" but rather to document the humor, the tackiness and the kitch aspect of the Roswell Alien Merchandising culture.