Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Jun 2026

created by the American artist Larry Rivers. It chronicles the physical puberty of his two young adolescent daughters, Emma and Gwynne, over a five-year period.

Rivers intended the 45-minute film to be an artistic exploration of human growth and a challenge to social taboos regarding the body. However, the methods he used—which included filming his daughters topless or naked and questioning them about their changing bodies—have been condemned by his children and critics alike. The 1981 Turning Point growing 1981 larry rivers

: The series documented their physical development and transition through puberty into young adulthood. created by the American artist Larry Rivers

Rivers' early work was characterized by his Abstract Expressionist style, which emphasized gestural brushstrokes and vibrant colors. He gained recognition in the 1950s and 1960s, exhibiting alongside other prominent artists of the time, including Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. However, the methods he used—which included filming his

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.

: 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

Family members later spoke publicly about the lasting psychological effects of the filming sessions. One of the daughters described the experience as a source of significant personal distress during her youth.