The Ebbsfleet Landmark Project Limited

The wing in Christopher Le Brun's proposal is a powerful image, not specific to a particular creature but symbolic of flight and movement. The disc behind it suggests a planet or moon-like form. The imagery reminded us of the strong Roman presence at Springhead - the winged messenger Mercury was the Roman god of both travellers and commerce; it was his duty to look after the roads and transport of goods between cities. Christopher was also referencing the imagery seen in the Kent landscape paintings by 19th century artist Samuel Palmer.

The construction of this sculpture would have been a major event. Made from concrete - one of the principal products of North Kent and immediately available from near the site - both the wing and the disc would have been carved into the chalk of the Springhead landscape and the negative spaces cast with concrete. In a scene reminiscent of the construction of ancient monuments such as the pyramids or Stonehenge, both forms would have then been erected into place in the biggest slab lift ever seen in the world.

Visitors to this work would have then been able to walk directly between the canyon like space created by the wing and the disc and to explore the giant grassed amphitheatre created by the 'casting pit'. The pit could have become a community amenity space with the potential of the disc being used as a giant canvas for the projection of films.

Le Brun's sculpture would have perpetually changed with the moving sun throughout the day and throughout the seasons. The shadow of the wing on the disc and the elliptical shadow of the disc across the amphitheatre would have been constantly shifting and intensifying, suggestive of a sun-dial.

"In terms of the event itself it could be completely extraordinary because we would build the wing in the pit, lift the wing, secure the wing, then build the disc and lift the disc into position - so there will be a series of amazing events as the thing is presented to the public… but more important, and the reason I did it - was for it to be a beautiful and evocative presence rising directly out of the soil of Kent." - Christopher Le Brun, 2008

London-based Christopher Le Brun studied at the Slade and Chelsea School of Art during the 1970s. One of the most influential figures to emerge in British art in the 1980s and famed for his painting work, sculpture has become an increasingly important part of his practice. Perhaps his most famous sculptural work, the monumental horse with two discs entitled Union is installed at the entrance to the Museum of London.

Christopher Le Brun holds a passionate belief in the power of figurative art and the re-exploration of narrative. There is a classical, lyrical sense throughout his work, which often encompasses both symbolism and abstraction. Le Brun's works often incorporate wings, trees and riders – referencing images from romantic poetry to the old masters.

Le Brun has exhibited in many significant surveys of international art, including Nuova Immagine Milan 1981, Zeitgeist Berlin 1982, and Avant-garde in the Eighties, Los Angeles 1987. Most recently he was included in Contemporary Voices, at the Museum of Modern Art New York in 2005. He has a major forthcoming show at the New Art Gallery in Walsall in 2008.

From 1987-88 he received the D.A.A.D. award from the German government, living and working in Berlin for a year. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1996 and in 2000 became the Academy's first Professor of Drawing.

Le Brun is a former trustee of the Tate, the National Gallery, and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. He is currently a trustee of the Prince's Drawing School and a member of the Council of the Royal Academy.