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Sam McKinniss — The Terminator
Sam McKinniss

The Terminator

2018

A luminous portrait of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic cyborg assassin from James Cameron's 1984 film, rendered in Sam McKinniss's signature style of lush, seductive paint handling. McKinniss bathes the figure in vivid, almost otherworldly color, transforming a still from popular cinema into something approaching classical portraiture. The work reflects the artist's ongoing fascination with celebrity, screen culture, and the strange devotional quality of our collective image-worship.

Medium
oil over acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
Signed
Yes

Notes

Execution: Painted in 2018. Literature: Steph Ekardt, "Your Favorite Google Images Are Now Paintings, Thanks to the Artist Sam McKinniss," Exhibition History: Brussels, Almine Rech Gallery,

🔨 Auction Lot

Modern & Contemporary Art

February 28, 2026

Estimate: $25,000$35,000

Sold: $23,220

Lot 141

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About this work

Sam McKinniss, The Terminator, 2018

A luminous portrait of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic cyborg assassin from James Cameron's 1984 film, rendered in Sam McKinniss's signature style of lush, seductive paint handling. McKinniss bathes the figure in vivid, almost otherworldly color, transforming a still from popular cinema into something approaching classical portraiture. The work reflects the artist's ongoing fascination with celebrity, screen culture, and the strange devotional quality of our collective image-worship.

Medium
oil over acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
182.9 x 152.4 cm
Year
2018
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Figurative Painting, Contemporary Painter, Cultural Icon, Dark Palette, Ominous Mood, Emerging Artist, American Artist, Pop Art, Portrait, Cinematic Subject, Oil on Canvas

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