© 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd. Studies are undertaken to examine graphene oxide intercalation into selfassembled J-aggregate porphyrin structures. Fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence anisotropy imaging were applied along with scanning electron microscopy to study the structure and optical properties of a graphene oxide/TMPyP hybrid composite material. It was seen that the presence of graphene oxide alters the macroscale and nanoscale self-assembled structures of TMPyP in addition graphene oxide also alters the optical activity reducing the emission intensity and exciton recombination lifetime. Evidence exists to support a model where planer-symmetric graphene oxide and TMPyP co-operate in the formation of selfassembled macro and nanostructures forming a composite with strong graphene oxide/TMPyP interaction.