culturalsydney-blog

[culturalsydney-blog]

“In Between Two Worlds” by Jason Wing is a meaningful centerpiece to Sydney’s cultural-hub, located at the Kimber Lane crossroad in Haymarket. The artwork was installed in 2013 as part of City of Sydney’s $20 million Chinatown Public Art Program, aimed at revitalising the area’s public spaces.[1] It brings a neglected service-lane to life using thirty illuminating spirit-figures and has cloud patterns etched along the pavement and walls, reflective of Aboriginal cave-prints.[2] Influenced by Wing’s dual-heritage, the artwork takes its visitors on a cultural journey through the natural elements of wind, water, fire and earth, Aboriginal and Chinese motifs, guided by past and present Ancestors.[3] Wing obtained Bachelors of Fine Arts and Graphic-design before founding his street-art career.[4]

[1] Fulton. A (2012), “Smelly Lane Gives Way To Serene Cloud Street”, The Sydney Morning Herald, accessed online via http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/smelly-lane-gives-way-to-serene-cloud-street-20120120-1qa7k.html on 17/04/17

[2] Marlow. K (2016), “Jason Wing: challenging audiences with contemporary cross-cultural art”, NITV, accessed online via www.sbs.com.au on 14/05/17

[3] City Art Sydney website (2017), “In Between Two Worlds”, accessed via http://www.cityartsydney.com.au/artwork/in-between-two-worlds/http://www.cityartsydney.com.au/artwork/in-between-two-worlds/ on 17/04/17

[4] Jason Wing’s Website (2017), “About page”, accessed via http://www.jasonwing.net/content/?content=about on 11/05/17

[culturalsydney-blog]

I began my journey at dusk, the glowing silhouettes of the half-human, half-spirit creatures gaining prominence against the ominous backdrop of the night-sky. Drawn in from the hustle-and-bustle of the vibrant Chinatown nightlife, I sunk into a peaceful world of culture and reflection. The isolated Kimber Lane became something of a dream. I did not feel alone, instead comforted by the shining-spirits watching over me: a safety-net. They guided me through the uncertainty emanating from the towering walls and crisscrossing streets, my disorientation quelled. The echoing sirens, car exhausts and revving engines from the hive of activity in the CBD, silenced by the serenity of the mural’s soft blue colours. Enchanted, I paused. Two worlds geographically-proximate but culturally-distant, harmonised by Wing’s enlightening passageway.

[culturalsydney-blog]

My feeling that Wing’s spirit-mortals were looking down on me links to “The Dreaming”, a concept fundamental to Aboriginal peoples’ cultural integrity. Central to this is the belief that the past and present are intrinsically linked, symbolised by Wing’s avenue through heaven and earth. The Ancestral-spirits created today’s world and are the force behind the mural’s natural elements. The mural’s location at a crossroad is emblematic of the mental dilemmas we face when making difficult decisions. Aboriginal peoples’ omnipotent spiritual connection with their Ancestors gives them guidance during these times.

[culturalsydney-blog]

Wing’s mural left me with a strong sense of hope, an emotion central to Aboriginal peoples’ cultural wellbeing. Despite the tension between Western and Indigenous cultures that resulted from colonisation and the displacement of Aboriginal communities, the artwork marks significant cultural harmony. Its position in Chinatown alongside Chinese restaurants, a “Holiday Inn” and the CBD, the realm of Western commercialisation, exhibits a comforting dichotomy demonstrating it is possible for contrasting cultures to peacefully co-exist. Wing’s auspicious clouds, based on the Chinese “fungus of immortality” are symbolic of good luck, enhancing the scene’s hopefulness.[5] By using universal themes his work has an inclusive capacity, aimed at engaging people from all cultural backgrounds and encouraging respect for our defining cultural differences. I found it extended a collective-spirituality[6] that I, a non-Indigenous person could relate to, heightened by signs of everyday-life such as the boxes/rubbish-bins along the street.

[5] Fulton. A (2012), Op. Cit.

[6] Ibid.

[culturalsydney-blog]

The mural is a timeless icon of cultural expression concerned with achieving social-justice for Aboriginal people, challenging misconceptions of Australia’s modern-history. [7] The motifs of nature reflect Wing’s personal-identity, his work being motivated by the contradictions in his Chinese-Biripi[8] upbringing.[9] The mural’s energy empowers the Aboriginal community, reclaiming the land for its traditional custodians, whilst inviting others to participate in its cultural discourse. For me, the mural is a sign of oneness, promoting cultural-exchange in attempt to build a richer Australian community.

[7] Marlow. K (2016), Op. Cit.

[8] Wing is a Biripi man from the Taree region – see Marlow. K (2016), Op. Cit.

[9] City of Sydney Council (2011), “Draft Chinatown Public Art Plan”, accessed online via http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au on 17/04/17

[culturalsydney-blog]

I found Wing’s mural culturally enlightening and by proudly promoting the aforementioned themes, it is important to Aboriginal people. It educationally raises cultural-awareness by igniting traditional values in a contemporary context, demonstrating that Aboriginal culture endures and has resisted cultural-assimilation. It is an optimistic sign for the future. The mural is in a good, graffiti-free condition but would benefit from a plaque providing a contextual-overview of its elements.