“lost Astral” (1974) - 6 Original Color Lithographs By Berto Lardera (1911-1989)

The "Lost Astral" boxed set, dating from 1974, contains six original color lithographs by the Italian artist Berto Lardera (1911-1989). This work was limited to only 50 numbered copies, from 1 to 50 (this is number 6 – Mr. André Gueidier), and published by the French Bibliophiles' Union. All copies are signed by Marcel Jouhandeau, Berto Lardera, and the president of the society. Berto Lardera's original lithographs were printed by Woldfensberger in Zurich. Five of the lithographs are on cream wove paper, and one is on pearlescent Japanese paper. A plate on Japanese paper numbered IXX/XXV and signed lower right "Incandescent Mirrors": a plate on vellum paper numbered VI/XX and signed lower right "Spatial Doze": a plate on vellum paper numbered VI/XX and signed lower right "Ritual Ceremony": a plate on vellum paper numbered VI/XX and signed lower right "Intangible Microcosms": a plate on vellum paper numbered VI/XX and signed lower right "Free and Enclosed Worlds": a plate on vellum paper numbered VI/XX and signed lower right. Dimensions: 76 x 56 cm. About the artist: Roberto Lardera (December 18, 1911 – February 23, 1989), better known as Berto Lardera, was a 20th-century Italian sculptor. He was born in La Spezia, Italy, to a naval engineer father. He was self-taught, and his penchant for monumental, metal sculptures may have been influenced by the sights he witnessed in the shipyards. In 1947, Lardera moved to Paris, where he remained until his death in 1989. He exhibited at the Galerie Denise René, then at the Salon de Mai and the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles. Lardera's sculpture began with abstract metal structures based on two dimensions, or a flat geometric plane, which challenged the conventional form of sculpture based on volume and enclosed spaces. Subsequently, his work diversified, his geometric constructions branching out on the horizontal and vertical planes and often resulting in series based on a single theme, such as the Miracles, Dawns, and Archangels series. His sculptures are found throughout the world, in Europe, America, and Japan. They demonstrate the use of a wide range of different metals, as well as varying dimensions. Lardera did not produce many prints, but his interest in using different media and dimensions led him to create distinctly "sculptural" prints. He used a unique technique, cutting shapes and patterns with his sculpting tools into thick iron plates from which the prints were made. He used neither acid nor chemical processes.