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Alasdair Gray murals secure listed status for restaurant

News imageHistoric Environment Scotland Street view of a cobbled lane with white buildings in the west end of GlasgowHistoric Environment Scotland
The Ubiquitous Chip was credited with bringing fine Scottish dining to Glasgow in the 1970s

One of Glasgow's best known restaurants has been recognised with listed building status thanks to its murals painted by the renowned Scottish artist Alasdair Gray.

The Ubiquitous Chip is now designated as a Category B listed building by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

A regular at "The Chip", Gray created in murals in exchange for hospitality in the late 1970s and early 1980s, shortly before publication of his landmark debut novel Lanark in 1981.

Florid Jungle and Arcadia are described as rare and important examples of his work and wider 20th century public art in Scotland.

Born in Riddrie, in the east of Glasgow, Gray was also a prolific poet, playwright, novelist, painter, and printmaker.

He died in hospital in 2019, the day after his 85th birthday.

News imageAlasdair Gray Detail of Arcadia mural at the Ubiquitous Chip - the painting depicts a group seated around a table in a garden. The scene includes foliage such as thistles and fruit trees. The people are labelled as Dave Byrne, Denis Lee, Madeleine Valente, Jim Murray and Elaine Knox.Alasdair Gray
The murals capture the West End cultural community that inspired much of Gray's work

The Ubiquitous Chip was established in 1971 and moved to its current Ashton Lane premises in 1974, occupying a former stables and livery yard.

It was credited with bringing fine Scottish dining to the city and became famous for its links to the artistic and cultural community of the city's west end.

The restaurant has attracted many famous diners over the years, including Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, Michael Keaton, Kylie Minogue and Billy Connolly.

After half a century of ownership by the Clydesdale family, it was sold to UK pub chain Greene King in 2022.

Dara Parsons, HES head of designations, said they were pleased to recognise significance of the murals by "one of Scotland's most well-known cultural figures of the 20th and 21st centuries".

"Gray's murals at the Ubiquitous Chip are rare examples of late 20th century public mural art, and important surviving examples of his work," he said.

News imagePA Media Alasdair Gray, a grey-haired man with a grey beard and moustache, stares solemnly to the side, his left hand at his cheek, wearing a plain white t-shirt and thin-rimmed glasses.PA Media
Alasdair Gray died in 2019 at the age of 85

A key focus for Gray's work was creating art in public spaces, including pubs, churches and parks across the city,.

Further pieces are also on display in the V&A in Dundee and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Glasgow's west end, where Gray lived from 1969, is home some of the most prominent examples of his public artwork.

One of his most famous murals spans the ceiling of the Oran Mor pub and restaurant, just along the road from the Ubiquitous Chip.

And nearby Hillhead Subway Station unveiled its 12m Gray mural in 2012.

News imageAlasdair Gray Painted mural detail from the Ubiquitous Chip’s Arcadia, featuring a yellow banner with red lettering that reads WORK AS IF YOU LIVE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF A BETTER NATION, accompanied by two small painted butterflies and a garden‑themed scene beneath it.Alasdair Gray
Gray's mural in the Ubiquitous Chip's Arcadia

Gray designed the murals in the Ubiquitous Chip specifically for their locations within the restaurant.

Florid Jungle is a dense jungle scene in the Chips' courtyard area, while Arcadia depicts friends, employees and regular customers in a leafy outdoor setting among tables with food and drinks.

The mural incorporates quotes and aphorisms by Gray, including "Work as if You Live in the Early Days of a Better Nation", which he paraphrased from Canadian poet Dennis Lee.

Sorcha Dallas, custodian of the Alasdair Gray Archive, said they were "among the most vivid surviving examples of his commitment to bringing art into everyday public spaces".

She added: "Works such as Florid Jungle and Arcadia capture the spirit of the west end cultural community that inspired much of Gray's work, and they show how his visual art, writing and social ideals were closely intertwined," she added.

"Their recognition as part of Scotland's protected heritage is an important acknowledgement of Gray's lasting contribution to the cultural life of Glasgow."