Red Sox
Inflated temporary site and event-specific public art installation – Pennant win celebration
Guinness Book of World Record for Largest Pair of Socks
- Completion Date: October 1986
- Media: Rip Stop Nylon, cable, steel, hardware, pair of fans and electric supply
- Location: Boston City Hall, Boston, MA
- Client: Mayor’s Office of Business and Cultural Development
- Dimensions: 45 ft (H) X 10 ft (D) X 41 ft (W)
- Budget: $9,000 plus cost of use of large bucket lift to install the pair of sox on top of City Hall
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In support of the Boston Red Sox winning the American League Championship after many years of lost seasons and supporting the team as they were ahead during the 1986 World Series, the mayor commissioned Layne to create and install a pair of four and a half story high Red Sox to hang from the top of the multi-storied City Hall complex. Fabricated in the large domed Cyclorama building of the Boston Center for the Arts and installed within a one-week period, Layne’s wife and partner, Erika, sat for 14 hours straight to sew the large pair of sox. Unfortunately, although leading the Series, a ball slipped through the first baseman’s hands, and the New York Mets went on to win the World Series that year.
Employing two household fans during the installation process, this pair of Red Sox was inflated to offset the strong wind sail effect surrounding the high building. The two white-toed Red Sox were the center point scene hanging from City Hall by the 750,000 Bostonians who attended the day-long celebration.
Gallery
"My sculptural environments are aesthetically pleasing site-specific artworks that connect nature and culture by employing the three legacies for regenerative and sustainable design of (1) environment: natural systems, (2) education: experiential systems, and (3) engagement: cultural systems. By using a variety of art media and fabrication methods to create sculptural open spaces that are intended to support personal rejuvenation and inspiration, my sculptures provide venues for environmental learning and community celebration.”
Contact
Environment, Education, Engagement
Michael Roy Layne, Ph.D., RLA, ASLA
Environmental Sculptor • Landscape Architect • Community Artist
Studio/Workshop
135 South Main Street
Warrenton, North Carolina 27589
Office
442 S. Main Street
Warrenton, North Carolina 27589
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