By Mark Shelling
After corresponding with the artist known as nicenothings, I’m still no closer to knowing who he is.
For context, you may not know the name nicenothings, but if you live in Vancouver, you have definitely seen his work. Walk through just about any YVR neighbourhood, and you’ll see his tag, which has become ubiquitous on just about every kind of public surface. Crosswalks, manhole covers, electrical boxes, the unobtrusive smile has created a niche in graffiti where it’s no longer viewed as such. In a city where it’s notoriously hard to meet people, the nicenothings smile offers a reminder to wanderers that a friendly deed can make lasting ripples.
Chatting to the artist, I asked if the symbol had any relation to Vancouver’s reputation for being emotionally distant. “Zero relation”. Clearly, I was projecting a bit. “Vancouver just so happened to be the place where it began.” …”Back in 2016, I was working a desk job that I hated. Every lunch hour, I would walk around downtown and started to notice everyone looking at the ground as they crossed the street. So, I started painting that smile right there. It was perfect; super visible but also low-key.”
With that subtle approach, the tag has steadily grown across the entire city. “The more I painted it, the more it made sense to keep painting it. Seeing people smile is what it’s all about.” A solid mantra to subscribe to, especially now, as people have been getting increasingly anxious during the pandemic. Despite being anonymous, the simple message is instantly recognizable in identity and tone.
The anonymity surrounding nicenothings’ symbol, and it being so easy to copy, has been paramount to its growth. I routinely see smiles in the nicenothings style that clearly weren’t done by the man that started them. A fact that the originating artist is fine with. “I’m happy having no eyes on me. This isn’t about me; it’s about the message, so the more, the better. It applies to all humans equally. So, who am I to dictate if someone wants to put it somewhere? That’s not my place.” It’s an uncommon separation of art from ego. Without needing recognition, nicenothings is content to have his work be repurposed by his audience, making it a much more personal experience.
Recently, as I was cutting through an alley in Gastown, I stopped to tie my shoe. As I knelt down, I saw a tiny take on the nicenothings smile on the side of a nearby wall. It was an oddly reassuring moment. Another person was there before me, and now we were sharing this private corner of the world. It’s a reminder that good things can grow out of small, seemingly insignificant places. So, the next time you see a nicenothings smile, take it as an affirmation that things aren’t always as bleak as they may seem. It may only be one small patch of concrete with a small symbol on it, but seeing smiles across the city grows it into something more. Asking him if he knew the number of smiles that now populate Vancouver, he replied: “No idea how many are out there. Nowhere near enough.”
For more info on nicenothings, visit https://nicenothings.com/