Larry Rivers, Growing (1981)
Oil and charcoal on canvas, approx. 72 x 80 in.
By the time Larry Rivers painted Growing in 1981, he had long since proven himself a chameleon of postwar American art. A former saxophonist turned painter, Rivers helped pioneer Pop Art before Pop officially existed, yet he never abandoned the gestural bravado of Abstract Expressionism. Growing—a late, confident work—finds him synthesizing these impulses into a rich, ambivalent meditation on organic life, mortality, and the very act of painting.
Subject and Composition
At first glance, Growing appears to depict a humble domestic or botanical scene: a sprawling potted plant, perhaps a philodendron or monstera, unfurling across a tabletop. But Rivers was never a pure realist. The plant’s leaves are rendered with quick, slashing charcoal outlines, some partially filled with muted greens, others left as ghostly sketches. The background is a field of dirty cream, gray, and pale pink—washes that suggest a wall and table, but refuse to settle into stable depth.
The title is ironic and earnest in equal measure. Growing captures a moment of arrested expansion: tendrils reach outward, leaves overlap, yet the entire scene feels suspended between vigorous life and decay. A few lower leaves are daubed with brownish-yellow, as if spotted with age or disease. Rivers seems less interested in botanical accuracy than in using the plant as a metaphor for the artist’s own late-career productivity—persistent, messy, still reaching.
Technique and Touch
What elevates Growing above a casual still life is Rivers’ handling of paint. He applies oil in thin, translucent layers alongside thick, almost sculptural impasto. Charcoal lines dance between representation and abstraction: some describe leaf veins with precise tenderness; others slash across the canvas, threatening to tear the image apart.
This is Rivers at his most fluent. The influence of Willem de Kooning and the New York School is unmistakable—the push-and-pull of figure and ground, the aggressive yet lyrical mark-making. Yet Rivers adds a Pop-era coolness: the plant is treated almost like a commercial illustration that has been deliberately roughened and rethought. The tension between graphic clarity and painterly chaos gives Growing its unsettled, compelling energy.
Interpretation and Context
Painted just three years before his death, Growing feels like a quiet manifesto. Rivers had survived the wild 1960s and 70s—his landmark The Last Civil War Veteran (1959), his famous Parts of the Body series, his collaborations with poets Frank O’Hara and Kenneth Koch. By 1981, the art world had moved on to Neo-Expressionism and Pictures Generation conceptualism. Rivers, ever the outsider-insider, ignored trends.
Growing is not nostalgic. Instead, it faces time head-on. The plant’s unruly spread evokes creativity that refuses to be pruned, even as it shows signs of wear. There is also an autobiographical thread: Rivers was a famously persistent womanizer, bon vivant, and father. Growing can be read as a self-portrait of appetite—for life, for art, for physical pleasure—tempered by the knowledge that all growth contains its own end.
Flaws and Limitations
No Rivers review is complete without noting his occasional slickness. At times, Growing seems too comfortable, too knowing. The “messy” passages can feel calculated, unlike the raw struggle of de Kooning’s Excavation or the deadpan mystery of Rivers’ own earlier Washington Crossing the Delaware. Some critics might argue that the plant-as-metaphor is too easy, a bit of midcentury poetic thinking that by 1981 had grown tired.
Still, these reservations fade when you stand before the actual canvas. The scale—roughly six by seven feet—forces you into the plant’s space. You feel the weight of each brushstroke, the hesitation and confidence alternating.
Conclusion
Growing (1981) is not Larry Rivers’ most famous painting, nor his most radical. But it may be one of his most honest. It offers no grand narrative, no pop-culture provocation—just a man in his late fifties watching a plant spread across a table, recognizing in its unruly, imperfect reach his own stubborn commitment to making art.
For fans of Rivers, it is an essential late statement. For newcomers, it serves as a perfect entry point: all his contradictions—realist and abstract, tender and aggressive, cerebral and sensual—are on display. Growing reminds us that Larry Rivers, even when painting something as simple as a houseplant, was never simply painting a thing. He was painting time, desire, and the wild, untidy process of becoming.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (Highly recommended)
Growing Up in 1981: The Life and Art of Larry Rivers
Larry Rivers, born Israel Eisenberg on May 8, 1923, was an American artist, painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. He was a prominent figure in the development of Pop Art in the 1960s. However, let's explore Larry Rivers' life and work in 1981, a pivotal year for the artist.
Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrant parents, Rivers grew up in a traditional Jewish household. He developed an interest in art at an early age and attended the Brooklyn Museum of Art School and the American Artists' School. Rivers' early work was influenced by Abstract Expressionism, but he soon transitioned to a more figurative style.
The 1960s: Pop Art and Beyond
The 1960s catapulted Rivers to fame with his involvement in the Pop Art movement. His work often incorporated everyday objects, images, and cultural icons. Notable pieces like "Washington Crossing the Delaware" (1959) and "The Bricklayer's Breakfast" (1959) showcased his unique blend of humor, history, and popular culture.
1981: A Year of Growth and Experimentation
In 1981, Rivers was 58 years old and at the height of his career. He continued to experiment with various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. This year marked a period of significant growth and innovation for the artist.
Some notable works from 1981 include:
Influence and Legacy
Rivers' work in 1981 reflects his ongoing interest in exploring the intersection of art, culture, and history. His contributions to the Pop Art movement paved the way for future generations of artists. Rivers' legacy extends beyond his own work, as he influenced a wide range of artists, including Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein. growing 1981 larry rivers
Conclusion
In 1981, Larry Rivers continued to push the boundaries of art, experimenting with new mediums and themes. His work from this period showcases his innovative spirit and enduring influence on the art world. Today, Rivers' art remains a testament to his creative genius and his role as a pioneer of Pop Art.
🎨 Larry Rivers (1923–2002) – Growing, 1981
Often called the "godfather of Pop Art" (though he preferred "figurative realist"), Larry Rivers was known for his loose, gestural style and irreverent subject matter. By 1981, Rivers had long since moved past his early Abstract Expressionist influences, fully embracing a multimedia, collage-like approach that blended painting, sculpture, and everyday objects.
Growing (1981) is a quintessential late-career Rivers piece. It features:
The work reflects Rivers’ ongoing fascination with memory, sexuality, and the passage of time. By the early ‘80s, he was incorporating xerox transfers, spray paint, and even 3D elements into his canvases — breaking down the boundary between "fine art" and "just stuff."
If you ever get a chance to see Growing in person (it’s in several private collections; one edition was shown at the Marlborough Gallery in NYC), notice how Rivers uses negative space and repetition — like a visual echo — to make the painting feel alive and, well, growing in front of you.
Why it matters today:
Rivers anticipated the postmodern mashup — mixing high and low, abstraction and representation, serious and silly. Growing feels like a 1981 punk-jazz poem about how art, like a vine, just keeps moving.
(1981) is one of Larry Rivers' most controversial works, moving beyond his traditional canvas into the medium of film and video. While often categorized alongside his late 20th-century experimentation, the piece has sparked significant ethical debate regarding art, privacy, and the exploitation of family members. Overview of the Work
Medium & Format: Unlike his famous "Pop Art" paintings, Growing was a series of films and videotapes edited into a final project in the early 1980s.
Subject Matter: The project documented the physical maturation of his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma Tamburlini, over a five-year period from 1976 to 1981.
Content: Rivers filmed his daughters at six-month intervals, often focusing on their developing bodies and asking them intimate, probing questions about puberty and sexuality. Artistic and Ethical Controversy
The piece was originally intended to be displayed in a continuous loop alongside his paintings. However, it remained largely unseen for decades due to its highly sensitive nature:
Lack of Consent: In recent years, his daughter Emma Tamburlini has publicly stated she felt extremely uncomfortable and did not consent to the filming.
Public Fallout: When the Larry Rivers Foundation attempted to donate his archives to New York University in 2010, the inclusion of Growing caused a "firestorm" of criticism. NYU eventually returned the tapes to the foundation to avoid legal and ethical complications.
Critical Reception: The work is often used as a case study for the "line between nudity and pornography" and the ethics of using family members as artistic subjects. Relation to Rivers' Broader Style
While Growing is a video work, it reflects Rivers' lifelong obsession with the human figure and "unfashionable" subjects. His style—often described by The Art Story as a bridge between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art—frequently used "iconographic clichés" and personal imagery to challenge established norms.
(1981) is a controversial and largely suppressed video work by the American artist Larry Rivers
. Originally intended for a 1981 exhibition, the work features footage of Rivers’ two young daughters, Emma and Gwynne, as they grew up. History and Controversy
The work has been the subject of significant ethical debate regarding the boundaries between art and the privacy of its subjects. Although created decades ago, it remained largely unseen for many years following concerns raised by the girls' mother. Archive and Privacy Rights
The project returned to public discourse in 2010 when New York University (NYU) acquired the artist's personal archives. This led to a public discussion regarding the rights of the individuals depicted in the footage versus the preservation of an artist's body of work: Request for Removal
: The daughters formally requested that the materials be removed from the public archive to protect their privacy. Resolution
: Following a period of public attention and institutional review, NYU eventually returned the specific tapes to the Larry Rivers Foundation. Current Status
: The Foundation has maintained a policy that the work will not be exhibited publicly, respecting the privacy and wishes of the family members involved.
Information is available regarding Larry Rivers' broader impact on the Pop Art movement or his notable collaborations with members of the New York School of poets if that is of interest. The Crimes Against Thérèse Blanchard - Carolyn Gage
" (1976–1981) is a controversial video series by American artist Larry Rivers
that documented the physical development of his two adolescent daughters, Gwynne and Emma. Rivers, often cited as a "Godfather" of Pop Art, filmed the girls at six-month intervals over five years, focusing on their maturing bodies and specifically their breasts. Artistic and Personal Context Methodology:
Rivers interviewed his daughters about their feelings regarding their changing bodies, sometimes including their mother, Clarice, in the frames. Intent vs. Reception: Larry Rivers, Growing (1981) Oil and charcoal on
While Rivers described the project as a document of development for his daughters to look back on, it remained unexhibited during his lifetime. In later years, his daughter Emma Tamburlini condemned the work, describing it as child pornography and stating it contributed to her developing an eating disorder. Controversial Legacy:
The series is often cited as a prime example of Rivers' "taboo-busting" nature overstepping ethical boundaries. It gained significant media attention in 2010 when his daughters sought the return of the footage from New York University. Career Milestones in 1981
Aside from the completion of the "Growing" project, 1981 was a significant year for Rivers' established career: Bio - Larry Rivers Foundation
The piece you are referring to is likely (1976–1981), a highly controversial video-series and documentary project by American artist Larry Rivers . Overview of "
The Project: Larry Rivers filmed his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, at six-month intervals from 1976 until 1981.
Content: The series documented their physical development and transition through puberty into young adulthood.
Controversy: The work remained largely unexhibited for decades but became the center of a major ethical and legal debate in 2010. Critics and family members have characterized the footage as exploitative, with some even calling it child pornography due to its intrusive nature. Legal and Ethical Resolution
Return of Materials: In 2010, following a request from one of Rivers' daughters, New York University (which held the artist's archives) agreed to return the "Growing" films and videos to the family.
The "Line" of Ethics: The Larry Rivers Foundation initially resisted the destruction of these materials, arguing that an archivist's job is to protect an artist's work, leading to a complex discussion on the convergence of accessibility and ethics in art history.
Larry Rivers was often called the "Grandfather of Pop Art" and was known for pushing boundaries between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. However, Growing remains his most polarized and legally contentious work due to the personal nature of its subject matter. Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download - Facebook
Growing 1981 is a controversial documentary by the American artist Larry Rivers that explored his daughter's puberty. Archives And Privacy In The Age Of Accessibility - AVP
The work titled Growing" (1981) is a highly controversial documentary series created by American artist Larry Rivers
. This project has become a central point of debate regarding the boundaries between art, privacy, and exploitation. Overview of the Series 1976 and 1981 , Rivers filmed his two adolescent daughters, Emma Tamburlini Gwynne Rivers , at six-month intervals.
The series documents the girls' physical development through puberty. According to reports from The New York Times Vanity Fair
, the footage often shows them topless or naked while Rivers asks them questions about their changing bodies and sexuality. Intent vs. Reality:
Rivers originally intended for the film to be played in a continuous loop during a 1981 exhibition of his paintings. However, he was dissuaded by the girls' mother, Clarice Rivers , and the footage remained unexhibited during his lifetime. The Modern Controversy The series resurfaced in 2010 when New York University (NYU) was in the process of purchasing Rivers' archive from the Larry Rivers Foundation Daughters' Stance:
Emma Tamburlini has publicly condemned the work, describing it as "nothing less than child pornography" and stating that the experience caused her long-term emotional distress and contributed to an eating disorder. NYU's Response:
After the content of the tapes became public, NYU announced it did not want the footage
as part of its archive and returned the materials to the Foundation. Current Status:
The daughters have spent years seeking the return of the footage to ensure it is never made public, while the Foundation initially sought to keep the materials restricted during the daughters' lifetimes rather than destroying them.
Critics and art historians often cite "Growing" as a significant example of Rivers' "taboo-busting" style overstepping ethical lines. How would you like to frame the discussion around this specific piece for your post? N.Y.U. Doesn't Want Film of Larry Rivers's Naked Daughters
For collectors and students searching for growing 1981 larry rivers, this piece is significant because it marks the transition between Rivers’ "History Painting" phase (1960s-70s) and his late "Nude" phase (1990s).
He stopped looking at the news and started looking at his windowsill. By turning the mundane into the monumental, he predicted the 1990s return of intimate, figurative painting (Lucian Freud, Alice Neel). He proved that you don't need a history book to make history; you just need a plant, a canvas, and the courage to see yourself in its struggle.
The genius of Growing (1981) lies in its subversion of the word "growing." For most people, growing implies progress. For Rivers, a student of history and a chronicler of the messy human condition, growing is synonymous with entropy.
Look closely at the brushwork. In the 1950s, Rivers had a lush, almost de Kooning-esque touch. By 1981, that touch has turned aggressive and dry. There are sections of Growing where the paint seems scraped off rather than applied. There are areas of raw, unpainted canvas—gaps in the "growth." This formal decision suggests that growing is not a smooth process; it is full of holes, erasures, and false starts.
Rivers is asking a radical question: What if growing is just a slower form of dying?
In the top-left panel of the work, a tiny, photographic image of a child (presumably Rivers’ own son) is silkscreened. Below it, the same child’s face appears aged and skull-like. The "growth" from one to the other is linear, but the emotional impact is tragic. Rivers the father sees his child growing; Rivers the artist sees the clock ticking.
The keyword "Growing 1981 Larry Rivers" refers to a deeply controversial and largely unexhibited 45-minute video work by the American artist Larry Rivers (1923–2002). While Rivers is celebrated as a "godfather of Pop Art," his 1981 film Growing remains one of the most polarizing entries in his career, sparking intense debate over the boundaries between avant-garde art and the exploitation of family. The Origin and Content of Growing Influence and Legacy Rivers' work in 1981 reflects
The film was the culmination of a five-year project beginning in the mid-1970s. During this time, Rivers filmed his adolescent daughters, Gwynne and Emma, every six months to document their physical development.
Format and Method: In 1981, Rivers edited this footage into a single film. The content consists of Rivers instructing his daughters to remove their clothing while he uses the camera to zoom in on their developing bodies, specifically their breasts.
The Interviews: Accompanying the visual documentation, Rivers interrogated his daughters about their feelings regarding their bodies and burgeoning sexuality.
The Interrupted Debut: Rivers originally intended to debut the 45-minute cut as part of a 1981 exhibition. However, the girls' mother, Clarice Rivers, intervened and successfully prevented the public screening. Critical and Family Perspectives
The legacy of Growing resurfaced years after Rivers' death when his daughter, Emma Tamburlini, publicly condemned the work.
Condemnation as Exploitation: Emma has described the film as "nothing less than child pornography". She reported that objecting to the filming resulted in being labeled "uptight" or a "bad daughter" by her father.
The Artist's Defense: At the time, Rivers reportedly justified the project to his teenage daughter by telling her that her "intellectual development had been arrested" for not understanding the artistic merit of the work.
Institutional Reaction: When the existence of the film became widely known through Rivers' archived papers, New York University officials distanced themselves from the material, stating they wanted no part in showcasing Growing. Artistic Context of 1981
In the broader context of 1981, Rivers was experiencing a high degree of professional esteem. That same year, a major retrospective of his work traveled through European institutions, including the Kestner-Gesellschaft in Hanover and the Kunsthalle in Berlin. His other 1981 works, such as his cast paper relief Dutch Masters, continued his tradition of blending high art with consumer iconography—a stark contrast to the intensely private and controversial nature of the Growing project.
Today, Growing is often cited in discussions regarding the ethical responsibilities of artists when using their children as subjects, sitting at the uncomfortable "crossroads of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art" where Rivers’ desire to "shatter taboos" collided with the reality of personal trauma. Archives And Privacy In The Age Of Accessibility - AVP
The request likely refers to the 1981 film , a documentary project directed by and featuring the artist Larry Rivers
. The film is a primary source of controversy and discussion regarding Rivers' life and artistic ethics. Report on the 1981 Film by Larry Rivers 1. Overview
is a 1981 documentary video project produced by Larry Rivers. Known for his eclectic career as a painter, jazz musician, and filmmaker, Rivers used this project to document his family life. The film is approximately 52 minutes long and is currently archived in collections such as the Media Burn Archive. 2. Subject Matter and Content
Family Documentation: The film focuses on the daily lives of Rivers' two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, during their adolescent years.
Artistic Method: Rivers utilized a handheld video camera to capture intimate, unscripted moments, reflecting his interest in the "cinema verité" style of the era.
Themes: It explores the themes of aging, bodily changes, and the evolving relationship between a father and his children.
3. Critical Reception and ControversyThe film remains one of the most controversial aspects of Rivers' legacy:
Exploitative Critique: Critics and biographers, notably in recent documentaries like Bad Boy of the Art World, have criticized the film for its "cringe-worthy" and potentially exploitative nature.
Ethical Concerns: Much of the controversy stems from Rivers' fixation on his daughters' physical maturation, which many viewers and art historians find invasive and inappropriate.
Artistic vs. Personal Boundaries: The work is often cited as an example of Rivers' tendency to blur the lines between his personal life and his art, often at the expense of those closest to him.
4. Historical ContextIn 1981, Rivers was a well-established figure in the New York art scene, having transitioned from the "Bad Boy" of Abstract Expressionism to a pioneer of what would become Pop Art. Growing represents his experimentation with new media (video) during a period when he was also navigating significant personal changes, including a new relationship with artist Daria Deshuk.
Rivers was a master draftsman who hated perfection. He studied under Hans Hofmann, where he learned the push-pull theory of color and space, but he rejected Hofmann’s purity.
In Growing (1981), look closely at the line work. The charcoal is thick and "dirty." Rivers often wiped away lines before they were finished, creating a ghost of an alternative drawing underneath the final piece. This technique—known as pentimento—is crucial to the keyword "growing."
Rivers once said in an interview, "The greatest thing about a drawing is the evidence of the artist changing his mind." Growing is that philosophy in action. The stray marks are not mistakes; they are the history of the eye moving.
In the sprawling narrative of 20th-century American art, Larry Rivers occupies a unique, often unclassifiable space. He was a proto-Pop artist who preceded Warhol, a figurative painter when Abstract Expressionism was king, and a poet who blurred the lines between text and image. To search for "Growing 1981 Larry Rivers" is to land squarely in the mature period of this iconoclast’s career—a moment where his technical bravado met a deep, often uncomfortable, introspection about time, mortality, and the body.
Growing (1981) is not merely a painting; it is a manifesto rendered in charcoal and oil. At first glance, it appears to be a simple anatomical study of a plant. But as the eye adjusts, the viewer realizes that Rivers has done something subversive: he has turned the natural world into a psychological mirror.
To understand Growing, one must remember the state of the art world in 1981. Neo-Expressionism was beginning to boil over in Germany and Italy (Baselitz, Kiefer, Chia), while in New York, the graffiti-inspired work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring was crashing the gallery scene. Minimalism had run its course.
Larry Rivers, then 58 years old, had already lived several artistic lives. He had survived the shadow of Abstract Expressionism (having been a protégé of Willem de Kooning) and had shocked the world in the 1950s with Washington Crossing the Delaware, a monumental history painting that broke every rule of history painting.
By 1981, Rivers was deep into his "collaborations" with poetry and medical imagery. Growing sits at the intersection of these two fascinations: the organic process of flora and the rigid structure of anatomical drawing.