Animal House | ZOOM |

        This is 177th in a series spotlighting pigs from the Big Pig Gig Public Art Project taking place in Cincinnati, Covington and Newport. Find past pig profiles and event details - and vote for your favorite pig — at www.cincinnati.com/bigpiggig

        This pig is a forest filled with endangered species.

        Artist: Tracey Antoun, 40, Columbia Tusculum, is a specification salesperson at xpedx, an illustrator and wildlife artist.

        Sponsor: xpedx, an International Paper Company.

        This pig's pen: Fountain Square.

        You were inspired by: I had just started working at xpedx when they called ArtWorks looking for an artist to do their pig. ArtWorks told xpedx they already had a artist working for them that could do it. Me.

        What's the pig idea? It's painted with endangered species of plants and animals from all over the world plus our local environment. The company wanted something that would support the environment that would be keepable, to be used as a teaching tool. There was a brochure printed to go with this pig that indicates which vegetation on the pig is endangered and supported within the United States by International Paper.

        You want people to look at this pig and think: We don't think enough about our environment. We don't think about the animals we place in captivity and the animals we eat.

        Completing the project took: More than 350 hours.

        What's the matter? Acrylic, coated with boat varnish.

        Your high on the hog was: I painted the pig in my TV room. My 7-year-old son would lay under the pig and watch TV while I painted. I liked it when my son would talk to people and tell them we had a pig in our family room.

        Pig peeve: I got shingles. I don't know why, probably I felt that I was under pressure to do a good job.

        Best pig tale: The pig travels a lot. He actually went to a luncheon with the president of our company. He'd go out to lunch and I'd come home and he'd come back. This pig's been around. I hope he's not getting bored on Fountain Square.

        My favorite pork dish: Pork ribs.

        What artistic movement most affected the outcome of this pig? Wildlife art.

        The materials cost: $300.

        Do you consider this art or porkography?: I hope it's art.

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