Art-Britto-Bowtie Cat TB2

I maintain records on my trackables. For a US-based trackable, this one is unusual for its longevity and movement. In the six-year period, 2010-19, the owner released a total of 3,793 trackables in the United States (96%) and Europe (4%). This trackable is one of the 5% of the total that circulated for at least 5 years and had been moved at least 25 times. That is a target rate of at least five drops per year for five years, or a drop every 73 days. The average drop rate of my trackables in the US is 124 days, in Europe it is 71 days. As of 30-Jun-23 this trackable had survived for 7.0 years and had been moved by 33 cachers, for an average drop every 77 days. Please keep it moving, then drop it in a safe place!

No permission is needed to leave the U.S. While in the US, please drop it in a Premium Member only OR a rural cache near a busy trail or road. Do not place it in an urban cache or abandon it at a caching event where there is no security. Transport the bug in the original plastic bag for as long as the bag lasts; the bag keeps the trackable clean and dry, protects the number and prevents tangling with other items. Otherwise, take the trackable anywhere you wish.

I have already released series of art-themed travel bugs based on works I have seen in person.  I will continue the series mostly including works I simply admire.  There will also be famous works or works by famous artists that I otherwise do not particularly care for, but they are….well, famous.  My disdain extends to most Modern Art and a good amount from the Pop Art movement. 

Romero Britto is a Brazilian Neo-pop artist, painter, serigrapher, and sculptor. He combines elements of cubism, pop art and graffiti painting in his work, using vibrant colors and bold patterns as a visual expression of hope and happiness.  His work makes me smile, so I have to say I like it.

Born in Recife, in the northeast of Brazil, Britto lived an extremely modest childhood while growing up among a big family of eight brothers and sisters. However, his innate creativity allowed Britto to fill his life with images of a bigger and more beautiful world beyond his own. Self-taught at an early age, he painted what he saw and what he imagined on surfaces such as newspapers, cardboard or any scraps that he could find. With an inordinate passion to excel, he prospered academically.

In 1983, Britto traveled to Paris where he was introduced to the works of Matisse and Picasso.  After exhibiting in a few galleries and private shows, he was encouraged to travel to the United States where Pop Art was flourishing.

Shortly after Britto arrived in the United States, Michel Roux, founder of Absolute Vodka's Absolute Art Ad Campaign, happened by Britto's first studio in Coconut Grove.   Roux quickly asked Britto to reinterpret the famous bottle, which would be published and seen by millions.  This led to many, many commissions corporations all over the world.  The artist has lived in Miami, Florida since 1989, where he has one main studio.