As the NFT space continues to grow, Western artists have jumped on board the Web3 train! However, tensions are already rising between artists. One such feud is between Outlaws NFT and Jeremy Booth. Following its successful release, the Outlaws NFT collection also faces copyright-related problems. Recently, the NFT community accused the project of copying Western artists’ styles, including NFT creator Jeremy Booth. Is it pistols at dawn?
Is Outlaws a Copycat NFT Project?
Outlaws is among the latest sold-out PFP collectible projects of the season. In terms of design, these digital artworks carry iconic Western traits and a Wild West vibe, which were very well received by the community. However, it didn’t take long until the project faced backlash for allegedly plagiarizing another Western artist’s style: Jeremy Booth.
Booth is one of the leading NFT artists known for his minimalist art centered on Western culture. According to some NFT collectors, the Outlaws creators copied Booth’s cinematic vision. They claim that Outlaws should face charges for plagiarism. In addition, Outlaws accordingly used Jeremy Booth’s name in promotional content by tagging him and mentioning him in DM’s.
“I’m pretty conflicted about that new PFP collection that’s a pretty obvious reproduction of what another artist is doing here. I know that his style isn’t new, and I know that the subject matter isn’t new… but together? Was kind of that artist’s thing, no? A Moral grey area,” said NFT collector @SADBOI.
This kind of statement inspired other traders to investigate Western art history and its evolution. Many users concluded that this Western art style had existed long before Booth or Outlaws, so plagiarism would be out of the question.
Furthermore, last week, the Outlaws founders also addressed the promotional content tagging issue:
“We DM’d Jeremy to offer his boots holders a mint. We also RT’d his Tweet saying he isn’t affiliated – we’ve never tried to pass of that we are him and have been clear on that,” the team wrote in a tweet.
Jeremy Booth later confirmed there are no copyright issues whatsoever regarding Outlaws.
Are Western NFT Artists the New Trend?
The Western NFT artists’ niche is definitely still in its early stages. However, projects such as Jeremy Booth‘s Western Art Dept have put a spotlight on Western-focused visual artists in the web3 space. For example, this first drop features artworks from photographer Nathan Bauman, José Narciso, and pop artist Nicklow, to name a few. The debut collection will drop in May via the Foundation platform.
Besides featuring NFT artists, this initiative also involves commissioning digital artists to create 1:1 Western artworks. Of course, each holder will gain access to an exclusive community and physical and digital perks.
To conclude, western NFT artists are definitely hot right now, and it’s a trend worth looking into.
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