Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case DELTA11

LKJ, Brixton

Photograph
1978 (photographed), 2010 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dennis Morris moved to Britain from Jamaica in the early 1960s and began taking photographs at the age of eight. He had early success taking photographs of Bob Marley and the Wailers on their 1973 tour while still in his teens. Music continued to be a feature of Morris’ work, as he went on to photograph British punk group The Sex Pistols and became Art Director of Island Records in the late 1970s. Morris also made his own music as part of the pioneering punk and reggae fusion band, Basement Five.

Whilst at Island Records Morris signed artist Linton Kwesi Johnson (known as LKJ), a Jamaican-born poet and activist who had been involved with the British Black Panther movement. Morris has since said: ‘LKJ for me was the voice of the youths of Black Britain. His poetry fused with Dennis Bovell’s reggae beats captures the feelings of Black Britain of the time.’

The V&A acquired ten photographs by Dennis Morris as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. A related photograph by Syd Shelton, which depicts the lead singer of the British reggae band Matumbi, was also acquired through Staying Power. Linton Kwesi Johnson’s collaborator, record producer Dennis Bovell, had first been successful as part of Matumbi.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLKJ, Brixton (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph by Dennis Morris, 'LKJ, Brixton', gelatin silver print, London, 1978, printed 2010
Physical description
Black and white photograph of a man standing next to a palm tree painted on a white wall.
Dimensions
  • Image size height: 68.5cm
  • Image size width: 45.5cm
  • Paper size height: 83.8cm
  • Paper size width: 66.0cm
  • Mount size height: 92.0cm
  • Mount size width: 68.0cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
(signed and titled on the reverse)
Credit line
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Object history
The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Associations
Summary
Dennis Morris moved to Britain from Jamaica in the early 1960s and began taking photographs at the age of eight. He had early success taking photographs of Bob Marley and the Wailers on their 1973 tour while still in his teens. Music continued to be a feature of Morris’ work, as he went on to photograph British punk group The Sex Pistols and became Art Director of Island Records in the late 1970s. Morris also made his own music as part of the pioneering punk and reggae fusion band, Basement Five.

Whilst at Island Records Morris signed artist Linton Kwesi Johnson (known as LKJ), a Jamaican-born poet and activist who had been involved with the British Black Panther movement. Morris has since said: ‘LKJ for me was the voice of the youths of Black Britain. His poetry fused with Dennis Bovell’s reggae beats captures the feelings of Black Britain of the time.’

The V&A acquired ten photographs by Dennis Morris as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. A related photograph by Syd Shelton, which depicts the lead singer of the British reggae band Matumbi, was also acquired through Staying Power. Linton Kwesi Johnson’s collaborator, record producer Dennis Bovell, had first been successful as part of Matumbi.
Associated object
E.1492-2010 (Series)
Collection
Accession number
E.1493-2010

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Record createdFebruary 1, 2011
Record URL
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