Funnily enough, the week began slowly and we were ready to release a cover inspired by an entirely different article (a lighthearted pastel-coloured number based on the Streisand Effect in NFTs).

Inspiration vs Imitation

Sunday 20th February saw the release of Issue #75 at the end of an extraordinarily busy news week.

Funnily enough, the week began slowly and we were ready to release a cover inspired by an entirely different article (a lighthearted pastel-coloured number based on the Streisand Effect in NFTs). Instead, late week drama unfolded as the popular Crypto Chicks collection was accused of plagiarising another artist’s work.

The cover played on the theme of inspiration vs imitation using a collage style to dazzling effect. The result was a kaleidoscopic mix of Renaissance imagery, pop culture, animation and an endlessly shifting ensemble of surrealistic faces. You’ll also notice references to other breaking news (not least the invasion of Ukraine) but the secret portion behind the collage will remain forever hidden.

What made this cover so exciting was that it could have been anything. The different pieces can be assembled into any configuration to make countless new faces. That, perhaps, is why it so effectively cut to the heart of the inspiration vs imitation debate.

Crypto Chicks led the news, closely followed by OpenSea’s disastrous contract migration and all the chaos it caused. Articles about the Streisand Effect (and the sheer impossibility of hiding negative press in the NFT space) and crypto red flags rounded off the week’s Gazette.

The ArtDrop for #75 came from Bhushan Vishwas. “Shōrai" shows a human/robot hybrid, blurring the boundaries between human and machine as we draw ever close to a point of singularity. 

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Shōrai

Artdrop #75