Dennis Morris

A career retrospective on one of the all-time great photographers of both music and black culture, Dennis Morris.

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.