Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.
The following day the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.