'Dennis Morris is one of Britain's great music and street photographers' Sunday Times 'A
beautiful book ... it's a bible' Cerys Matthews BBC 6 Music 'In Music + Life Hackney
revellers west London scrap dealers and glamorous pop stars share pages in a fascinating mix
of gritty reportage and imaginative image-making' MOJO A career retrospective on one of the
all-time great photographers of both music and black culture Dennis Morris. When we think
of the trailblazing photographer Dennis Morris's work music is right there. Morris's
adventures in the 1970s reggae and punk scene laid the groundwork for a six-decade career.
It all began with Bob Marley: Morris doorstepped Marley in his early teens while skipping
school and went on to capture much of Marley's tour which launched his career as a music
photographer. He later became the official photographer for the Sex Pistols and for John
Lydon's next project Public Image Limited Morris was art director and designer as well as
taking iconic images for the band. He captured the greats of reggae and roots music from Lee
'Scratch' Perry to Toots and Jimmy Cliff forming friendships with many of the acts.
Morris's documentary and street photography work with roots in his experiences as a Black
teenager in 1970s Britain bring us visionary projects that explore race politics and cultural
identity. From the miner's strike to squat protests from civil rights organizations to pop-up
studio portraits his work was a reckoning with his new home capturing eccentricity and
individual spirits with his camera. Edited by Laurie Hurwitz this book unfolds in two
electrifying parts: the first unravels Morris's lens on race culture and identity in 1970s
Britain while the second pulses with encounters with music legends like Patti Smith Gregory
Isaacs The Stone Roses and Radiohead. With contributions from agnès B and Sean O'Hagan the
book will delight photography fans and music lovers alike. It includes previously unseen images
and is supported by an internationally touring exhibition presenting Morris's influential work
in depth for the first time.
