A recent graduate from the Glasgow School of Art has secured a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest sock monkey. The massive sculpture, measuring nearly 50 feet long, was the centerpiece of her final degree show and pays homage to a cherished childhood craft.
Emilia Evans-Munton, 22, constructed the giant puppet, titled "Remember I'm Still Here," as a symbol of toys left behind and the memories they hold. The impressive piece was built using dozens of straw bales and vast amounts of fabric, transforming a university car park into a playground for the imagination.
Key Takeaways
- A 22-year-old artist, Emilia Evans-Munton, is now a Guinness World Record holder.
- Her sculpture of a sock monkey measures 49 feet 6 inches (15.1 meters) in length.
- The artwork was created for her degree show at the Glasgow School of Art.
- The piece is meant to evoke feelings of childhood nostalgia and the memory of lost toys.
A Record-Breaking Creation
The official measurement confirmed the sock monkey’s length at 49 feet and 6 inches, solidifying its place in the record books. Evans-Munton, a graduate in sculpture and environmental art, designed the piece to be displayed outdoors, where it was exposed to sun, wind, and rain.
This exposure was intentional, representing the gradual wear and tear a beloved toy might experience over time. The sculpture lay in the car park of the Stow Building, part of the art school's campus, where it was discovered by visitors to the degree show.
The Building Blocks of a Giant
Constructing a sculpture of this scale required significant materials and effort. The project was a two-week endeavor, with one week dedicated to sewing the massive fabric shell and another week to stuffing it into shape.
The artist relied on the help of friends and family to bring the giant to life. The final structure was composed of carefully arranged materials that mirrored the look of the classic toy on a monumental scale.
By the Numbers
- Length: 49 feet 6 inches (15.1 meters)
- Fabric Used: 196 feet (60 meters) of corduroy
- Internal Structure: 40 straw bales
- Eye Diameter: 5 feet (1.5 meters) each
- Construction Time: 2 weeks
An Ode to Childhood Memory
For Evans-Munton, the sock monkey is more than just a large-scale sculpture; it is a deeply personal project rooted in family tradition. She was inspired by the smaller sock monkeys she used to make with her mother and grandmother during her primary school years.
The artwork, she explained, is a tribute to toys that are eventually outgrown or lost. It captures the feeling of nostalgia and the emotional connection people form with objects from their youth.
"The piece is an ode to the toys that are left behind, and the painful pang of losing one's favourite toy as a child," Evans-Munton stated.
The sculpture's title, "Remember I'm Still Here," directly addresses this theme of being forgotten yet remaining present. The artist's goal was to create an experience that would transport viewers back to their own childhoods.
The Art of Soft Sculpture
Emilia Evans-Munton frequently works with textiles to create what are known as soft sculptures. This art form uses fabric, stuffing, and other pliable materials instead of traditional hard media like stone or metal. Soft sculpture often explores themes of comfort, domesticity, and the human body, and gained prominence in the 1960s with artists like Claes Oldenburg, who created large-scale sculptures of everyday objects.
From Scaffolding to Stitches
Every detail of the sock monkey was crafted with care and creativity. The iconic button eyes, for instance, were not simple buttons but enormous discs measuring 5 feet wide. These were constructed from recycled scaffolding boards, adding an industrial and sustainable element to the whimsical design.
The body of the puppet was covered in nearly 200 feet of brown corduroy fabric, giving it the classic, textured appearance of a traditional sock monkey. Inside, 40 straw bales provided the necessary volume and structure to maintain its immense shape.
The artist hopes that by encountering such an oversized version of a familiar childhood toy, people can reconnect with a sense of childlike wonder. The work stands as a testament to how personal memories can be transformed into public art that resonates with a universal audience.