🔗 Share this article Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Artwork Authorities mentioned they could not remove the eyes without harming the artwork. A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a large art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it. The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage. In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”. Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December. The damaged sculpture after the stickers were taken off. A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture. “This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.” She said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage. When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and appearance. Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”. Cast in Blue is its formal title but locals called the artwork the ‘Blue Blob’.