Helter Skelter, Created in 1994 by Peter Thursby, Bronze, Edition of 5 (The original is now in N.Y. USA) 166cm high by 110cm wide at base by 50cm deep at Top, Abstract sculpture

Helter Skelter, created in 1994 by Peter Thursby, is a striking modern abstract sculpture in bronze. Standing 166 cm high, with a base 110 cm wide tapering to 50 cm at the top, it commands attention through its bold form and dynamic movement. Thursby’s work captures energy in both material and motion, transforming solid bronze into a visual metaphor for swirling, cascading water.

At first glance, the sculpture’s vertical column appears stable and monumental. Yet, closer observation reveals an eruption of movement from the centre. Water seems to spiral outward, tracing the twisting surface of the column in a Helter Skelter pattern. This interplay between upward thrust and outward flow creates a sense of continuous motion, despite the material’s inherent solidity.

The surface treatment enhances the illusion of fluidity. Light glances off the bronze, accentuating curves and angles that guide the eye along the sculpture’s spiralling trajectory. Thursby balances the abstract with a sense of natural rhythm, making the work feel simultaneously engineered and organic. Transitioning from base to apex, the column suggests a controlled yet exuberant release of energy, as though frozen in mid eruption.

Through careful composition and bold abstraction, Helter Skelter transforms bronze into a vessel of kinetic expression. The sculpture invites viewers to engage with movement, space, and materiality. By combining dynamic form with tactile surface and careful proportions, Thursby achieves a powerful dialogue between stability and motion, permanence and transience. Ultimately, the work celebrates the energy and unpredictability of water, captured in enduring bronze.