Pierced Stone by Professor Tim Threlfall (1940-1999), a set of three stone slabs pierced by a chrome column, c. 1980, Unique, 160cm high, 79cm wide, 60cm deep Abstract sculpture

Pierced Stone by Professor Tim Threlfall (1940–1999)
c. 1980 | Stone and Chrome | Unique | 160 cm (h) × 79 cm (w) × 60 cm (d)

Pierced Stone is a commanding abstract sculpture comprising three substantial stone slabs intersected by a highly polished chrome column. Created around 1980, this work exemplifies Threlfall’s fascination with the dialogue between materiality and form, and his exploration of the relationship between mass, space, and light.

The chrome column, reflective and industrial, dramatically contrasts with the raw, tactile surfaces of the stone, creating a visual and conceptual tension that defines the composition. The precise piercing gesture suggests an act of both division and unity, as if the metal element both disrupts and completes the integrity of the stone forms.

Threlfall’s practice often bridged modernist abstraction and sculptural engineering, and Pierced Stone embodies this synthesis. The work engages the viewer through its interplay of texture, geometry, and reflection, inviting contemplation of balance, permanence, and transformation within the sculptural medium.