Terminator Cube

Clayton, Missouri

Sculpted by the late Ernest Trova, a St. Louis native, FM6 Walking Jackmen was unveiled in 1985 in front of a 5-story office building, years before liquid metal creatures became digital effects icons in films such as The Abyss and Terminator 2. Although it looks as if the half dozen chromium humanoids are being spawned by the central cube, Trova meant them to represent bureaucratic, faceless "everymen" bestriding a soulless universe. The movies came along later and skewed everyman's interpretation of Trova's work, though workers in the Terminator Building are probably less depressed about their jobs.

"Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too." - Sarah Connor