The MEP – Maison Européenne de la Photographie presents Music + Life, the first retrospective of British artist Dennis Morris in France. The exhibition brings together for the first time a vast selection of his photographs capturing his youth in London, as well as his portraits of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols, which have become emblematic images of pop culture.
This exhibition takes us to the heart of the intimate relationship that Dennis Morris developed with the legends he photographed. Thanks to his rare access, he reveals little-known facets of their personalities.
Dennis Morris is also an artistic director, he contributed to shape the image of these artists. By combining his passion for photography and music, Morris offers a perspective on the intersection of cultures, where reggae and punk become synonymous with rebellious youth. His images tell the story of a multicultural England profoundly marked by immigration and the emergence of new cultural identities. Each portrait is a visual manifesto of a personal and authentic connection.
The exhibition is also based on reportage that captured the vitality of England at the time. Through his photographs, Dennis Morris captured the essence of black British culture, highlighting the pride and dignity of these communities, despite their often precarious conditions. In this way, Music + Life illustrates his ability to translate the social transformations of post-colonial England into images, as well as his contribution to the musical counter-culture.
The Music + Life exhibition is accompanied by a 250-page book of stories, photographs and texts, in French and English, published by Thames & Hudson in collaboration with the MEP.
Dennis Morris : Music + Life
February 5 – May 18, 2025
MEP – Maison Européenne de la Photographie
5/7 Rue de Fourcy
75004 Paris, France
www.mep-fr.org
