Tom Brown: A Glasgow artist with a rare view of the city

Artist, Tom Brown at his recent exhibition in Glasgow. Picture Source: Tom Brown

If you have spent any significant time in Glasgow city centre, there is a chance that you may have encountered Tom Brown – in fact, you may have even gotten a lift from him. For 15 years he has been zipping through the streets of Scotland’s largest city in his rickshaw, ferrying people to various events and functions throughout its expansive core.

A virtual denizen of the city centre, Brown is known to most street traders, buskers, and the general public at large. His distinct rickshaw, which he refers to as “the spaceship”, due to the amount of attention that it receives, has been firmly etched in the consciousness of many a Glaswegian.

However, what many people may not realise is that Brown is an artist in his own right. The city itself merely provides a fecund backdrop; seeping into every crevice of his work. Perched on the corner of Gordon and Buchanan Street, Tom often waits, but not for the reasons that people may think, he said: “People think I'm sitting waiting for a fare, but I'm sitting analysing the public. Everything I see gets logged in my head, and it comes out in my drawings.”

There is a grittiness and darkness in Brown’s work; his characters are grizzled, weather-beaten - with much to tell. Brown attributes this to the city’s dark history, its struggles, and the bustle of everyday life on its pavements, he said: “I get more from the man on the street than the man with the briefcase getting out of the Mercedes. To me, they have a story to tell. That’s what interests me.”

Brown’s work, though based on his everyday observations, is in fact deeply surreal. His figures are exaggerated in size, sporting gargantuan noses, which has become somewhat of a trademark in his work. Brown credits surrealist artists such as Peter Howson and Joe O’Brien as pertinent influences, the latter of whom he regards as a close friend, he said: “I shared a studio with Joe O’Brien, and he’s a fantastic artist. I would say his work has influenced mine and my work has influenced his. We both have, what I would call, ‘the big noses’ in our work.”

Most of Brown’s work in recent years has been through the medium of pencil, with a limited colour palette of greys, blues, and greens – a nod to the city’s political landscape. Brown had previously painted for several years, specialising in chairs. One of his collections was even bought in its entirety by a boutique hotel in Aberdeen. However, it was during a stint volunteering at Drumchapel Arts Workshop (DRAW), that he was encouraged to work on his pencil craft.

Brown initially felt hesitant about using pencil, particularly with its perceived limitations, he said: “I was always scared of the pencil because I just found that it breaks, and you sharpen that nib, then it breaks, and then you sharpen it again and it breaks. It can be hard to maintain consistency with a pencil. So, I avoided it for a long time.”

However, things changed for Brown when a friend presented him with a refillable pencil, which negated the need for sharpening and allayed his previous fears of imprecision. Brown quickly found zeal and enthusiasm for the humble pencil, he said: “I got addicted to this pencil to such a degree that I couldn't put it down. I still cannot put it down. I feel it's got so many parameters of what you can do. The pencil exposes you to your artwork - it's back to the basics. If you can control that, then painting is basically easy-peasy.”

As well as embracing traditional forms of materials in his artwork, Brown also takes a more organic approach to the way in which he promotes it. You will not find him on Instagram or Twitter, instead, he prefers to interact with the public on the street. Word of mouth and his rickshaw – emblazoned with his telephone number – are his chosen methods of promotion.

However, Brown does hold exhibitions periodically. His last exhibition, at Gloria Jean’s on Gordon Street, ran from September 4th to October 4th of this year. “My Previous exhibition has just finished for ‘Beggars, Buskers, Blaggers and Buffoons’. That was very successful and well attended. I put it together myself, but it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to organise – financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally,” he said.

Brown’s poster for his recent exhibition, which features one of his drawings. Picture Source: Tom Brown

For Brown, it is important that the venue reflects his work and the people who have inspired him. He refuses to use venues which he sees as pretentious and seeks to include other artists and street performers at his events – usually hiring three street buskers to play at his openings. Brown will not be rushed into his next exhibition, for him, it is important that everything feels right, he said: “My next exhibition will probably be in April 2023. I've got the artwork ready to go. I've got the musicians ready to go. I just need to get the right venue.”

At a sprightly 58 years young, Brown concedes that his time as a rickshaw driver may soon be coming to an end and that his beloved ‘spaceship’ may soon be heading for deep space nine. However, he has plans in store for when he bids farewell to the streets of Glasgow, he said: “Working in the rickshaw for 15 years, I have picked up a lot of stories and snippets – all about the madness and chaos of Glasgow street life. I've got them all logged and written down somewhere and I will bring them all together eventually, once I retire from the rickshaw.“

While Brown’s literary plans may be for the future, for now, he very much remains a fixture of Glasgow’s topography; careering through its undulating streets, pausing only for brief moments of contemplation. Keep an eye out for him, you may very well be his next work of art.