BACON! (Do I have your attention now?) - Alwyn Sekhri

My art installation is focused on attempting to draw attention through humor.  Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff walk past this building on a daily basis on their way to another destination.  How often does anyone notice this side of the building or have a moment to take in their surroundings?  This particular image is as simple as it is straightforward - a plate of bacon.  How many people enjoy eating bacon and how long has this food been at the heart of many jokes in society.  From Homer J. Simpson's love of the food to the marketing campaigns for dog treats (Beggin Strips) - it is a universally understood food and concept.  The tag line "Everything tastes better with bacon..." is aimed at gaining attention and encouraging people to stop and take in the full image.  Does everything really taste better with bacon - many might agree and many might strongly disagree.  If a vegetarian or vegan read this statement they would probably have some strong sentiments against this claim.  However this work of art would have caused them to stop and notice that someone is trying to get their attention (hopefully in a humorous manner).
There are a variety of ways to get someone's attention - Jenny Holzer is an artist who utilizes words to provoke and gain attention for issues that she feels passionately about.  Some of these issues include torture, disease, and death.  My work of art takes a different approach - that of reaching out to everyone's sense of humor as a way to unite and draw attention.  My hope is that this type of an art installation would encourage the campus to rethink current methods of drawing a crowd and use a more positive universal form (humor!) to catch someone's attention if for only a minute...