Writtle College's huge landscape artwork celebrating the Tour de France's passage past the institution is beginning to take shape.
The college is creating the giant stylised image of a racing cyclist out of more than 300 bales of haylage in a field on its 220-hectare estate. The aim is for the artwork to be viewed from the helicopters following the Tour de France as it goes past Writtle.
The project, which has received funding from Active Chelmsford, is being created in a field near to Roxwell Road.
The dynamic abstracted image of a cyclist moving at speed was designed by one of the Contemporary Art and Design degree students at the College, Georgina Elizabeth, following a competition.
The design was pixelated and then laid out on a giant grid in the field, with each pixel being a bale.
The bales, which are being put in place using a forklift truck, are from the College's own fields as well as those kindly donated by local feed merchants Thorogood's.
Writtle School of Design – the flagship design school based at the College - will create a time-lapse film of the artwork under construction from a scaffolding tower.
They will also create another film of the helicopter fly over.
College principal Dr Stephen Waite said: "Having the Tour de France go past Writtle College is an historic occasion in our 120-year history and gives our students and staff the opportunity to participate in a world class sports and cultural event.
"We have a beautiful main building and picturesque campus set on 220 hectares, but we wanted to create an artwork that would celebrate this momentous occasion and be seen by the helicopters as they fly over the route.
"As a college with a long history in providing inspiring specialist courses for the land-based industries, we thought it would be fitting to create an installation in the environment, which is bringing together our expertise in design, agriculture and sport."
Georgina, 29, from Holland-on-Sea, said: "My design was of course influenced by the race but I wanted it to be dynamic and eye-catching so, with that in mind, I designed a stylised rider that was easy to pixelate and re-create in the field using rectangular bales.
"As soon as I learned the Tour de France was passing through the area I wanted to help Writtle College be a part of this iconic event and I am thrilled that my design was chosen and will potentially be seen by thousands of people."
