Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.
The following day the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor added the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork 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 artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
