Unfinished: For the Sake of Making
A study in impermanence,
captured in clay and light
Updated: October 2025
Unfinished is a collaborative, hand-bound book created with photographer Tom Wright, documenting the work of Salford ceramicist Dave Partington. A quiet study of process, impermanence and craft, the project brings together photography, writing and tactile design to explore the beauty of work made for its own sake.
This post is a working record of the book’s creation — an ongoing update as it moves through each stage of printing, binding and preparation for launch.
Over the past few weeks, Unfinished has started to take its final form — and, true to its title, the process has been as important as the outcome.
Construction is almost complete
Printing is now complete, with Pressision handling the production of the covers, inners and folding inserts, along with the duplexing, drilling and finishing. From there, everything else has unfolded by hand in my studio: cutting 160 sheets of Colorplan Harvest and Cobalt, gluing cobalt endpapers to each cover, punching 320 holes, folding and perforating inserts, trimming the covers for folding, assembling, binding with brass Chicago screws and finishing with labels on the front and back.
Still to come:
Handwriting every label, numbering each edition, completing the final fifteen copies (I only ordered 40 screws instead of 80 — the only hiccup so far…), and trimming and folding the vellum dust jackets. Only two paper cuts so far.
This week, Tom and I will be documenting the process — I’ve left a few books unbound so he can capture every stage, from the cutting table to the final screw fixings.
Paper choices
The final materials include Colorplan Mist and Cobalt for the covers, Colorplan Harvest for the endpapers, GF Smith Max White for the inners, Gmund Cotton for the folding inserts, and a Transclear vellum dust jacket. All bound together with brass Chicago screws.
Lost in the making
I’m pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything has gone so far (touch wood). I thought it might feel more painstaking, but it’s been the opposite — slow, rhythmic, and deeply satisfying. In the true spirit of Unfinished, I’ve found myself losing track of time, listening to music and simply enjoying the act of making. Here’s the playlist I’ve been listening to while creating it.
We’ll be celebrating Unfinished at a private launch in November, where Dave Haslam will be interviewing myself and Tom about the project. There’ll be music, a bar and a few copies available to purchase — first come, first served. If you’d like to attend, you can email me at hello@becmorris.co.uk to request an invite.
My studio might be covered in paper trimmings and PVA glue, but I feel creatively alive. The whole process has been calm, joyful and full of small imperfections — just as it should be.