Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
She said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
