Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a person putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
