Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing 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 prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.