Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”
She said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
