With Triforium being rebooted as an example of public art with an innovative use of light, and the Museum of Neon Art being forced out from it’s current location at Olympic and Hope streets, you wonder if the space that once held the Los Angeles Children’s Museum in the same square where the Triforium holds court can be made available to house the soon to be homeless MONA. Keeping a beloved collection of neon art near the unfavored Triforium may give the sculpture a way to be appreciated for what it tried to be. Or better yet, just dress it up in neon. 
Staying Alive: Joseph Young’s sculpture Triforium was first pitched as public art synchronizing light with music, using a computerized powered playlist–– “Beethoven to the Bee-Gees”––and would galvanize the City of Los Angeles. It worked. Ever since it’s unveiling in 1975, most despise the sculpture, making Bee-Gee lyrics “been kicked around since I was born” the mantra of Triforium’s 31 year existence. . . LADTN reports that Ninth-District Councilwoman Jan Perry will restore Triforium, a move prompted by Arts District resident Qathryn Brehm... Brehm's deep appreciation of the Italian blown colored glass crowning the tripod, and the then innovative computer run sound system buried underground, and the original planned function of the piece had her send an email off to Perry earlier in the year No Love for Tripod: Triforium has survived criticism and lack of public adoration since it was left isolated at Fletcher Bowron Square at the LA Mall in 1975. You can't help but note the scorn the almost working musical sculpture still inspires . . . Just recently at the "SIQUEIROS The Art of Censorship" forum held at the Los Angeles Times last November 9, moderator and commentator Patt Morrison cites the Triforiums as an example of public art failure. War of the Whirls: The innovative mechanics of the sculpture is overshadowed by it's bulky presentation and even bulkier composition that is a daring vision of 1975 art, however, circa 1955 eyes. Tomorrowland would have razed it for a ride. . . When you look at it a certain angle, when the dancing lights worked, the three-pronged disco jukebox looked ready to repeat the scene from the H.G. Wells novel War of the Worlds and take out City Hall with a heat-ray. A tripod's revenge for being replaced by George Pal version of alien space craft.
More Missing Lights:
“I smelled Los Angeles before I got to it. It smelled stale and old like a living room that had been closed too long. But the colored lights fooled you. The lights were wonderful. There ought to be a monument to the man who invented neon lights.”
-Raymond Chandler, The Little Sister
The inventor was a French engineer and chemist, Georges Claude, whose neon sign invention first US appearance was in 1923 at the Los Angeles Packard Dealership in downtown Los Angeles. Some wonder if the building, now Packard Lofts, would host MONA. Oh That’s Why It's Mona: The first rented space for the Museum was what the Times calls on “scruffy Traction Ave” is now neon artist Lili Lakich’s studio. Lakich, who co-founded MONA in 1981 with Richard Jenkins, also created the neon logo that is still in use by MONA. Yes, a MONA Lisa.
Wouldn't a neon garden with new and old work in Fletcher Bowron Square be something worth visiting? I'd even listen to the Bee-Gees.
Photos: Triforium / ViewFromaLoft MONA via MONA website
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