Dennis Morris: Music + Life is the first in-depth career retrospective of the trailblazing photographer, designer, and art director. Although Dennis Morris is celebrated for his iconic portraits of reggae superstar Bob Marley, this monograph also shines a light on Morris’s documentary work, which explores questions of race and cultural identity as it draws on his experiences as a Black teenager in 1970s Britain. Supported by an international touring exhibition, Dennis Morris unveils a trove of previously unseen images, offering new insight into the image-maker’s visual language.
Jamaican-born Morris moved to East London when he was just five years old. His passion for photography was ignited when he joined a local church’s camera club. A rebellious thirteen-year-old, Morris skipped school to meet―and photograph―Marley, an encounter that would catapult him into a whirlwind tour with Marley and, subsequently, the Sex Pistols as their official photographer. His adventures in the reggae and punk scenes of the 1970s laid the groundwork for a multidecade career spanning photography, art direction, design, and music.
The book unfolds in two symbiotic parts: the first captures Morris’s unapologetic lens on race, culture, and identity in 1970s Britain, while the second surveys his collaborations with music legends, including―in addition to Marley―Lee “Scratch” Perry, Gregory Isaacs, and Marianne Faithfull. Featuring an original contribution from Sean O’Hagan and an essay by the late cultural theorist Stuart Hall, this publication promises to delight both photography aficionados and music lovers alike.
The trailblazing and multi-talented photographer, designer and art director Dennis Morris is best known as the man who created the images known worldwide of Bob Marley as reggae superstar and cultural icon. In parallel, his documentary work, with its roots in his own experiences as a Black teenager in 1970s Britain, are visionary projects that explore race and cultural identity. This monograph, supported by an internationally touring exhibition, presents his work in depth for the first time.Jamaican-born Morris’s arrival in East London at just five years old sparked a passion for photography that ignited at nine when he joined a local church’s camera club. In his early teens, he stumbled upon Bob Marley while skipping school, catapulting him into a whirlwind tour with Marley and, subsequently, the Sex Pistols as their official photographer. His adventures in 1970s reggae and punk laid the groundwork for a six-decade career spanning photography, art direction, design and music.Edited by Laurie Hurwitz, this book unfolds in two electrifying parts: the first unravels Morris’s unapologetic lens on race, culture and identity in 1970s Britain, while the second pulses with collaborations featuring music legends like Lee Scratch Perry, Gregory Isaacs and Marianne Faithful. Enlivened by contributions from Agnès B and Sean O’Hagan, the publication promises to enthral both photography aficionados and music lovers alike. It unveils a trove of previously unseen images, injecting fresh vibrancy into Morris’s already remarkable visual narrative.