Glasgow 850: New mural on Argyle Street celebrates Glaswegian character from the 1980s

Glaswegians will fondly remember Robert the Robot, a Glasgow character if ever there was one, famed for his android-like dance moves and distinctive outfit and demeanour, he has now been granted a public portrait on the very street he used to roam.

Back in the 80s, Robert the Robot hit the streets dancing the robot and interacting with puzzled and amazed Glaswegians as a street artist. While you might expect something like this at Edinburgh during the Fringe, this was an entirely new phenomenon to the streets of Glasgow and quickly became part of the shopping experience in the city centre.

Nearly instantly, folk from all corners of the city were talking about this anonymous robot, you could usually find him outside Marks and Spencers on Argyle Street, though he often frequented Buchanan Street too.

Glaswegians weren’t sure what to make of him, some were puzzled, others were dazzled - despite being pretty much mute, this cyborg captured the hearts of Glaswegians the city over.

He would dance in his white boiler suit and matching mask with all sorts of sci-fi space age robotic gizmos attached, like a motherboard, wires, and other pieces of futuristic looking tat. You could find him in the city centre nearly every day from 10am to 6pm, he quickly became part of the fabric of Glasgow, a city famous for its character.

His signature move of course was dancing like a robot and other rave style moves which really captured the hearts and minds of Glaswegians - particularly those of the older generation that had only ever been dancing down the Locarno or the Barrowlands when it was still just a dance hall - to them he may as well have been a robot.

Robert the Robot truly was an icon of Glasgow in the 80s and 90s - and was emblematic of the new open-minded Glasgow that was the European City of Culture in 1990.

He was so famous in fact that he would do the act on stage with the likes of TTF, Ultrasonic and Rhythmic State when they came to the Barrowlands. He also featured on an episode of Rab C Nesbitt, where he received a swift headbutt from the titular character.

The new mural by artist Rogue Oner celebrates this cultural icon on Argyle Street - who lives on now not only in living memory, but in portrait for all to see.