‘Picturing Pigs’: Billboards Challenge Perceptions in Pig Farming State

North Carolina is a major pork-producing state with around eight million pigs, but the animals are usually hidden from view inside factory farms. Two photographers, Mary Shannon Johnstone and Jane M Casteline, attempted to make pigs more visible by capturing images of rescued pigs and putting them on billboards in the state. The project, titled "Picturing Pigs," aimed to show that pigs are not just food, but feeling creatures.

Despite their efforts, the photographers faced challenges in finding a home for their billboard images due to the state's strong pig farming industry. Multiple billboard companies refused to display their posters, with some citing concerns about the controversial message that pigs are friends, not food. The photographers see their project as an attempt to challenge the misleading advertising used by meat producers and highlight the compassionate nature of pigs, despite facing obstacles in getting their message heard.