Artwork Description
Depicting a traditional barbershop, the artist captures a retro ambiance in this piece. A remnant of days gone by, the barbershop exhibits a down-to-earth appeal that draws in the regulars as well as inquisitive newcomers hankering for a dose of old-world charm. The piece is well executed with the use of subtle colours to denote simpler times while employing the challenging technique of pointillism.
Olbeth explains their activity,
“Tagal means ‘don’t’ in the kadazandusun language. Tagal has been a traditional practice by the indigenous peoples of Sabah for many generations. It involves shared responsibilities and management. The local riverside community is the earliest community to practice tagal in order to protect and replenish aquatic life as well as to maintain the cleanliness of the river water. Through this system, the use of natural resources is limited in order to ensure the existence of natural resources for future generations. To implement the tagal system, part of the river may be demarcated with stones as an area where access to fishing is prohibited, small bridges are set up to make it easier for riverside communities to get to water sources, while fences and sharp sticks are strategically placed to mark ‘tagal areas’.”
We realise that everyone in the picture is wearing gaung and souva, traditional Kadazan men’s costume, rather than working gear, underlining the symbolic and allegorical nature of the painting, which holds up the lesson of inherited wisdom and the practice of desisting – from greed, wastage, pollution.