WEST Somerset artist Rob Heard is creating a unique tribute to mark the centenary of the bloodiest day of battle in British military history. The 48-year-old from Washford is commemorating the 19,240 British soldiers who were killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme with a piece of art that promises to be both provocative and poignant. Every soldier who died will be represented by a 12-inch figure wrapped and bound in a hand-stitched calico shroud and arranged in rows on the ground. The aim of the project - called The Somme 19240 - is to physicalise the number of dead to show the true horror and enormity of the loss of life. Rob came up with the idea last year as the centenary of World War One approached. "Topical news programmes featured politicians and commentators squabbling over whether to celebrate or commemorate the event and I just considered the importance of illustrating the true impact of the conflict," he said. The project evolved at a time when Rob was experiencing a dark period in his own life after injuring his right arm so badly in a car crash in 2013 that he was forced to find a new direction for his talents. Previously he had worked primarily in wood, creating pieces ranging from the giant pirate play ships at Washford's Tropiquaria attraction to exquisite and intricately carved miniature 'bough house' sculptures, which were displayed in galleries across the UK. But the pain and limited mobility in his hand meant he was unable to continue with such detailed physical work. He embarked on his new challenge last December and with 550 figures already created, he has set himself the challenge of completing the evocative picture in time for a public display of the artwork marking the centenary of the battle in July 2016. "It's easy to say the number 19,240 but almost impossible now, almost 100 years on, to imagine the physical reality of the bodies and the impact that these deaths had on the friends and families of the individual soldiers or collectively, on society as a whole," he said. Rob has a list of names of all the British soldiers who fell on the first day of the battle - a further 40,000 were wounded. "Each figure is associated with a name so that each soldier is individually acknowledged and remembered. "I am working my way down the list, crossing off one name each time a soldier is created as I reflect on their individual experience." Rob creates the figures unaided, cutting and hand-stitching their calico shrouds, covering and binding them in a ritual of creation, remembrance and personal introspection. "Incredibly, although each of the figures is the same, as they are wrapped they take on their own form, twisting and bending into their own unique shape - not only representing the dead but death itself." The project is expected to cost at least £80,000 and the finished artwork will hopefully be displayed in one of Exeter's public parks following close links developed by Rob with the city's Royal Albert Memorial Museum. Although some public funding could be in the pipeline, Rob is also hoping to attract sponsorship to help cover the cost. Details of the project and ways in which people can support it are available on a dedicated website - http://www.thesomme19240.co.uk">www.thesomme19240.co.uk - which went live this week.