Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of damaging property.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
