Australian Teen Charged for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.
Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused 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 next court date in December.
The following day the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without harming the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.
When the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
