Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork
A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.
A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the art piece.
“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”
The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.
At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.
Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.