Young Australian Charged for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of damaging property.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.
A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society 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 sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.
Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
