1 of 2 | Art student Emilia Evans-Munton earned the Guinness World Record for the largest sock monkey sculpture. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records
Feb. 13 (UPI) — A student at Scotland’s Glasgow School of Art used nearly 200 feet of corduroy fabric to create the world’s largest sock monkey sculpture.
Emilia Evans-Munton, 22, said she started work on her massive plushie as a passion project for her degree show, and only later realized it might be the largest in the world.
“My dad pointed out it was probably the largest in the world and encouraged me to contact Guinness World Records,” Evans-Munton told Guinness World Records.
The final sculpture, which was stuffed with 40 straw bales, measures 49 feet and 6 inches long.
“A large part of my sculpture practice is focused on scale, and making my adult audience feel small again in comparison to such a big object to encourage the (perhaps repressed) childlike fascination that exists in us all,” she said.
The sock monkey also has massive buttons for eyes.
“I repurposed recycled scaffolding board/wood into the giant buttons for the eyes, which were 1.5 meters [5 feet] wide each,” the artist said.
The sock monkey was introduced to the public at Field Maneuvers Festival in Norfolk, England. Visitors were encouraged to interact with the massive toy.
“The more bashed and deflated a soft toy is, the more it has been loved. The interaction from the audience allows the rediscovery of their love for their once-favorite toys, all the while showering the sock monkey with a newfound love,” Evans-Munton said.
She said the sock monkey’s stuffing has now been removed and it is in storage in her grandmother’s attic.