Terminator Cube

Clayton, Missouri

Sculpted by the late Ernest Trova, FM6 Walking Jackmen was unveiled in front of a five-story office building in 1985, years before similar 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, skewing everyman's interpretation of Trova's work, which probably means that the current workers in the office building are less depressed about their jobs.

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