Friday, September 29, 2000

Pig Parade: Hammibal Crossing the Rhine

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Tusk, tusk: Pig assumes elephant's role

By Owen Findsen
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        This is 153rd in a series spotlighting pigs from the Big Pig Gig Public Art Project taking place in Cincinnati, Covington and Newport. Find past pig profiles at cincinnati.com.

        In 218 B.C. Hannibal crossed the Rhone, riding an elephant. For Cincinnati, the elephant became a pig and the Rhone became the Rhine.

        Artist: Steven Geddes, 52, Mount Washington, a wood sculptor and toy designer. He also created O Sowlo Meeeeeo, Leonardo's Whirly Pig and Swine Stein.

        Sponsor: Corbett Foundation for the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.

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        This pig's pen: The hall of fame window, 4 W. Fourth St.

        You were inspired by: I remembered a picture of Hannibal crossing the Rhone River, with the elephants on rafts and the soldiers in these little houses called howdahs on top.

        What's the pig idea? Some of my early sculpture was connected with carousels and circus wagon imagery. Because it was for the Classical Music Hall of Fame, I put a circus band on top.

        You want people to look at this pig and think: It's a circus bandwagon, which was a kind of parade float, with the band and a paddle wheel on the back for crossing the river. I gave it the trappings of a parade elephant. He has tusks to enhance his boarness.

        Completing the project took: About 200 hours. You can't carve wood any faster than that.

        What's the matter? The howdah and the musicians and instruments are carved in wood.

        Your high on the hog was: The first time I got the howdah on the pig's back and put a light on it, it read well — just what I was after.

        Pig peeve: The late nights.

        My favorite pork dish: I have a real weakness for sauerkraut knoedels. They're pork dumplings.

        What artistic movement most affected the outcome of this pig? 19th-century American folk wood carving; carousel carvers and bandwagon carvers. The howdah was inspired by a wagon that was manufactured in Cincinnati.

        The materials cost: $175.

        Do you consider this art or porkography? Definitely art.

        If your pig starred in a movie, who would you cast to play the role? Anybody who could fit in the costumes.

       

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Pig Parade: Hammibal Crossing the Rhine
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