Australian Teen Charged for Allegedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork
A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.
The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor said the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
