Discover music, culture and Black British identity through the lens of Dennis Morris.
Open now at The Photographers’ Gallery, until 21 September 2025, Dennis Morris: Music+ Life celebrates the work of British-Jamaican photographer Dennis Morris. Renowned for his intimate portraits of cultural icons such as Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols and Marianne Faithfull, Morris’s images are a vivid exploration of music, identity and social change.
Music + Life captures the spirit of some of the most pivotal moments in 20th-century culture, from the soulful vibrancy of reggae to the rebellious energy of punk. Morris provides a rare glimpse into the lives of legendary musicians, revealing the trust and connection he forged with his subjects. His candid photographs of Bob Marley, both on and off stage, along with the raw, chaotic world of The Sex Pistols, illustrate his unique ability to capture the personalities behind the music.
Music + Life highlights Morris’s early documentary work, which reflects life in the multicultural neighbourhoods of post-war London. He vividly documented the arrival of sound systems in England and the late-night blues dances where the Jamaican community gathered to dance to reggae, capturing the spirit of a vibrant self-made culture. It also brings together Morris’s work capturing Black British culture in the 1970s, with a who’s who of music legends and stars of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Images will include reggae pioneers Bob Marley, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and The Abyssinians; punk groundbreakers The Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd and The Slits; Oasis, The Stone Roses, Patti Smith, Grace Jones, The Prodigy, and many more. Records, merchandise and graphic design created by Morris will also be on show, including the iconic PiL Metal Box.