 |
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Arnold can't pull weight without Anna Nicole
Jeff Hengst woke up Tuesday morning missing Anna Nicole Smith, but he didn't realize it until lunch.
"I glanced around and saw only Arnold Schwarzenegger," he said. "I felt as if I'd been punched in the gut."
 | ||
 | Dan DeLong / P-I | |
| Artist Jeff Hengst stands in for Anna Nicole Smith, subject of a painting that was stolen from outside his studio. | ||
Hengst, 42, painted Smith and Schwarzenegger as 8-foot-tall gender parodies in 1995. Wearing nothing but a bikini bottom, Smith strikes a pouty pose while Schwarzenegger predictably flexes his muscles.
Last week, Hengst decided to hang them in a niche outside his studio in the Lake Union neighborhood "for giggles," he said.
He's not laughing now. "Arnold's useless to me without Nicole," he said. He called the police immediately. Although he wasn't expecting them to rush over and dust for prints, he was somewhat taken aback when they declined to come. They took his story over the phone and sent him a form to fill out.
"I guess it didn't sound real serious to them," he speculated. He thinks if he could have found a client for the pair, they might each have been worth $8,000 to $10,000.
Hengst has had other things stolen over the years, but nothing of this magnitude. "People have smashed windows and grabbed things," he said. "Once a bike was stolen. This is different. It's personal. It had to be planned. Remember that she's heavy. Getting her down wouldn't have been easy. Two people must have been involved, or maybe one big burly guy."
Although upset about his loss, he isn't making any great claims for the missing painting.
"I'm a better painter now," he said. At the time, he said, he was fascinated by the fact that Smith and Schwarzenegger are living parodies. "They're flesh-and-blood cartoon characters. I wondered if I could paint them by hand and achieve the kind of impact with the imagery that People magazine gets."
Hard lesson learned, he's going to put Schwarzenegger away, although he said he'd destroy the painting now if he weren't hoping that he might get Smith back. "Somebody might have borrowed her for a party. I'm hoping I'll show up for work and see her leaning against the building some day."
More headlines and info from Eastlake.
P-I art critic Regina Hackett can be reached at 206-448-8332 or reginahackett@seattlepi.com
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
 Day in Pictures A spotted eagle and more |
 David Horsey A reminder from 2004 ... |
 Photo gallery Screening of Sex Drive |
· Parents are accused of starving girl for years
· 400 county jobs could fall victim to $93 million shortfall
· No body, no weapon, but trial starts in biker's death
· Signs of times add up for homeless on the street
· UW scientists report success in herb enhanced to fight cancer
· Eyman initiative also cuts arts funding
· Redfin cuts its work force 20 percent
· Rossi asks judge to quash subpoena in lawsuit alleging campaign finance violations
· Man convicted in Ballard rapes from 12 years ago
· 'Twilight' series fans looking for teen vampires in Forks
· Oregon pair singes McCain sign
· Oregon infant recovers from rare disease
more· Microsoft exec touts technology for rural business
· No winners for Wash. Lotto, Hit 5 top prizes
· Winning lottery numbers chosen
· Rossi resists subpoena, says lawsuit political
· Boeing talks with striking machinists break down
more· Advocates say government should save wild horses
· Business interests seek employer sanction changes
· Gay support group criticizes Mormon leadership
· Desalting plant near Yuma prepares for restart
· 3 BLM workers held at gunpoint at NV pot garden
more
The Big BlogBy Monica Guzman and other P-I editors and staff
· Nader-lovers rejoice. The man is coming to Seattle
· Canadians have an election too, eh?
· Who is really to blame for our pet shelter problem
Strange BedfellowsP-I staff on Seattle politics
· Canada's election ends in Vancouver
· Gallup daily poll: Obama 51, McCain 41
· Dearth of new governor's race polls
Seattle Real Estate NewsWith the P-I's Aubrey Cohen
· Trulia embraces crisis
· Quadrant offers new incentive
· Fall not Fannie and Freddie's fault
Seattle TrafficBy Reporter Larry Lange and other P-I staff
· Weigh in on possible bus changes
· Overnight shutdowns Thursday on 520 Bridge
· New ride record claimed for water taxi
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
