I remember that the first time I met the artist Franz Bette two years ago, his works make you feel like standing by the sea, the breeze gently whispered. You are far from the unbounded ocean, it may make you feel alone, but when you look at it once again, you will see your own back since the earth is round. For me, such a scene that draws an endless line throughout the blue sky, and we can find eternal hope when we look up.
Among the exhibits at the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Art, there is a Franz Bette green chalcedony bracelet. This bracelet is one of the works produced by Franz in Ireland in 1969. Franz mentioned that he was still an unnamed Seiko artist. Although he had won the first prize in global diamond design, he still couldn't afford diamond design materials. Therefore, he needed to diligently sell his works to maintain his livelihood. At the time, Franz sold the chalcedony to the museum for only 400 marks. The price was not high, but the value of the work itself was not affected by the price. From a structural point of view, this chalcedony jewelry was hand-milled by Franz. Each chalcedony structure looks similar, but it is unique, and behind it is the artist's ideological value.
People often ask why some calligraphers have written thousands of volumes and still no one knows them, while others have become famous by simple writing. Because becoming a master must be through a long period of tempering, and in the process to understand the value of himself and the work, after a lengthy accumulation, the artist can share this "value" with others, and then his work can become classic work. In the same way, this is also a process to train an artist to solve the dilemma. Therefore, the importance of the object itself is "essential" rather than "more".
Perhaps we are all born in such a diverse range of generations, you and I still have to face the unknown. But art can add color to our lives, and it also provides us with value for thinking. Just like the theme of this exhibition the circle of works and ideas has produced qualitative changes in our minds and all these efforts must work toward the unknown. This kind of effort is like Franz's brooch art works. The front design is wonderful, but turning to the back we see the incredible uniqueness. Because of these efforts, we have the ability to give the viewer the deepest inspiration. For RedxThread, Franz Bette has developed a new body of work which reflected his experiences in Asia.
