Above Geometric Tessellation by Dikko Faust
Asheville BookWorks: “Almost 40 Years in Purgatory”
Located in New York City, Purgatory Pie Press (PPP) is one of the longest running artist presses in the world. Its name came about in 1977 when PPP founder Dikko Faust spilled a lot of small type while studying with Walter Hamady, an artist and bookmaker in Wisconsin. He chose to atone for having pied (i.e, mixing together indiscriminately) the type— paying his dues in Purgatory, as he describes it— by painstakingly sorting the hundreds of spilled letters and punctuation marks.
Since 1980, Dikko and his wife Esther K. Smith (their wedding invitation was their first print collaboration) have been headquartered in New York City. Over the years, PPP has collaborated with more than a hundred artists and writers, making limited editions and artist books. PPP has focused on letterpress printing from handset wood and metal type.
Dikko Faust, founder of Purgatory Pie Press at his studio in New York City
Asheville BookWorks, 428 1/2 Haywood Road in West Asheville, is hosting an exhibit titled “Almost 40 Years in Purgatory: Limited Editions and Artist Books of Purgatory Pie Press” that will open with a reception from 5:30–7 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, and run through the month of August. The exhibit is a retrospective of PPP’s work from the very beginning.
In addition, Dikko and Esther will each teach one-day workshops at Asheville BookWorks. On Friday, July 8, Dikko will teach “Purgacolor” (hand colorizing images on letterpress). Cost is $141. On Saturday, July 9, Esther will offer “Magic Books and Paper Toys.” Cost is $125. Registration for these workshops is accepted either by phone (828.255.8444) or online at ashevillebookworks.com. Asheville BookWorks: “Almost 40 Years in Purgatory”
