Spirits in the sky

Sydney (5 images)

Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky That’s where I’m gonna go when I die When I die and they lay me to rest Gonna go to the place that’s the best

“Spirit in the Sky” is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969.

“In Between Two Worlds” by artist Jason Wing is a permanent street art installation in a small service lane in the Chinatown district of Sydney. Incorporating wind, water, fire and earth, the artwork references both Chinese and Aboriginal motifs. In Chinese and Aboriginal culture the elements are said to have their own spirits. In the Chinese Zodiac humans are also created with characteristics of the elements.

The half human, half spirit figures in Kimber Lane are said to represent past, present and future ancestors. The themes of heaven and earth, the elements and respect for ancestors past and present are universal. The figures are inspired by Aboriginal and Chinese heritage but do not discriminate against other cultures.

The art installation consists of wall murals, ground murals and 30 suspended illuminated spirit figures.

I showed one of the entrances to this lane way in a previous post, someone to watch over me. I still need to try and go back and get some night shots when the figures are illuminated. But as you can see it’s not one of the most glamorous parts of Sydney.

A 36 MP sensor does come in handy at times. I couldn’t get close enough in time to get the shot I wanted of this man, so I took a shot from a distance. The image above is a crop of the original, and following a further crop, I’m closer to what I would have liked to begin with.