Black Ark_ Lee Scratch Perry

Black Ark explores the world of Lee “Scratch” Perry (1936–2021), the Jamaican musical and visual artist who pioneered dub music. Centered on a detailed inventory of photographs and writings from Black Ark Studios in Kingston, Jamaica—where Perry created his groundbreaking music from 1973 onward—the book captures both his sonic innovations and his visual artistry.

At Black Ark Studios, Perry transformed the space into a living artwork, layering murals, drawings, instruments, records, found objects, and appropriated media, all intertwined with the building itself and his own persona. The studio became a unique ecosystem of creativity, where music, visual art, and biography converged.

This photobook documents the studio before its recent sale and preserves Perry’s cultural legacy, combining new photographs with archival images, documentary stills, and extended captions by his biographer. Structured like a collage, the book reflects Perry’s inventive layering, rhythm, and eclectic approach, while exploring the Black Ark as both a “spiritual yard” and a metaphorical home for his extraordinary work.