Framing the Controversy of a Conceptual Boundary , a defining figure of the 20th-century New York avant-garde, famously blended the painterly freedom of Abstract Expressionism with the iconography of Pop Art. However, his legacy is fundamentally complicated by Growing (1981) , a controversial, unexhibited film project documenting the physical development of his adolescent daughters. Filmed at six-month intervals between 1976 and 1981, the project captured his daughters, Emma and Gwynne, from the age of eleven through their teenage years. While Rivers framed the project as a boundary-pushing artistic exploration of puberty, it ultimately ignited a fierce ethical and legal debate regarding children's privacy, parental exploitation, and the limits of artistic license. The Evolution of Growing (1976–1981) The Production and Method
"Growing" (1981) is an experimental video project by artist Larry Rivers documenting his daughters from childhood to their mid-teens, which became the subject of intense ethical and legal controversy due to its content [1]. Following attempts to sell the tapes, the artist's daughter, Emma Tamburlini, publicly denounced the work as exploitative and sought its destruction, leading to its refusal by NYU [1]. The case is widely cited in debates concerning the boundaries of transgressive art and the protection of minors, according to reports from the New York Times and Vanity Fair.
: Larry Rivers filmed his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, at six-month intervals from 1976 until 1981.
, a titan of post-war American art often credited with bridging the gap between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, was known for his provocative, figurative, and frequently personal subject matter. While his paintings, such as Washington Crossing the Delaware (1953), often explored historical themes with a fractured, modernist technique, his later work ventured into intensely private and controversial territory. Among his most debated, and arguably complex, projects is the series known as "Growing" , a collection of video portraits filmed between roughly 1976 and 1981.
[1976: Filming Begins] ──> [Bi-Annual Sessions (Ages 11-16)] ──> [1981: 45-Min Film Edited] ──> [Exhibition Blocked / Archived] The Archival Scandal and Public Outcry
For decades, the footage remained largely unseen by the public, held within the artist’s private collection. The situation changed in 2010 when the Larry Rivers Foundation sought to include the 45-minute film and its outtakes in a sale of the artist’s archives to New York University (NYU).
Upon its completion and initial private screenings, reactions to "Growing" were not about its artistic merit but its apparent exploitation. Rivers was already famous for shocking behavior — he openly discussed his drug use with jazz legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis and was unapologetically bisexual in an era when that was not publicly accepted. But "Growing" seemed to cross a different, more primal line.
: 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.
: Typical of his later style, the figures are depicted with blurred lines and a sense of incompleteness, a technique used to evoke a feeling of memory rather than a static portrait.
: Following a period of public attention and institutional review, NYU eventually returned the specific tapes to the Larry Rivers Foundation. Current Status
Larry Rivers was a prominent American artist known for his work in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Born in 1923, Rivers gained fame for his unique style that blended elements of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.
Between , Larry Rivers filmed his young daughters at exact six-month intervals. The project began when Emma and Gwynne were approximately 11 years old, capturing their transition from childhood through puberty.
: The painting presents a series of figures across the canvas, mimicking the frames of a film to illustrate the chronological progression of time and physical change.
The 1981 painting remains a complex part of the artist's history, highlighting the debate over whether any aspect of life should remain private or if everything is subject to the artist's gaze.
Framing the Controversy of a Conceptual Boundary , a defining figure of the 20th-century New York avant-garde, famously blended the painterly freedom of Abstract Expressionism with the iconography of Pop Art. However, his legacy is fundamentally complicated by Growing (1981) , a controversial, unexhibited film project documenting the physical development of his adolescent daughters. Filmed at six-month intervals between 1976 and 1981, the project captured his daughters, Emma and Gwynne, from the age of eleven through their teenage years. While Rivers framed the project as a boundary-pushing artistic exploration of puberty, it ultimately ignited a fierce ethical and legal debate regarding children's privacy, parental exploitation, and the limits of artistic license. The Evolution of Growing (1976–1981) The Production and Method
"Growing" (1981) is an experimental video project by artist Larry Rivers documenting his daughters from childhood to their mid-teens, which became the subject of intense ethical and legal controversy due to its content [1]. Following attempts to sell the tapes, the artist's daughter, Emma Tamburlini, publicly denounced the work as exploitative and sought its destruction, leading to its refusal by NYU [1]. The case is widely cited in debates concerning the boundaries of transgressive art and the protection of minors, according to reports from the New York Times and Vanity Fair.
: Larry Rivers filmed his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, at six-month intervals from 1976 until 1981.
, a titan of post-war American art often credited with bridging the gap between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, was known for his provocative, figurative, and frequently personal subject matter. While his paintings, such as Washington Crossing the Delaware (1953), often explored historical themes with a fractured, modernist technique, his later work ventured into intensely private and controversial territory. Among his most debated, and arguably complex, projects is the series known as "Growing" , a collection of video portraits filmed between roughly 1976 and 1981. growing 1981 larry rivers
[1976: Filming Begins] ──> [Bi-Annual Sessions (Ages 11-16)] ──> [1981: 45-Min Film Edited] ──> [Exhibition Blocked / Archived] The Archival Scandal and Public Outcry
For decades, the footage remained largely unseen by the public, held within the artist’s private collection. The situation changed in 2010 when the Larry Rivers Foundation sought to include the 45-minute film and its outtakes in a sale of the artist’s archives to New York University (NYU).
Upon its completion and initial private screenings, reactions to "Growing" were not about its artistic merit but its apparent exploitation. Rivers was already famous for shocking behavior — he openly discussed his drug use with jazz legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis and was unapologetically bisexual in an era when that was not publicly accepted. But "Growing" seemed to cross a different, more primal line. Framing the Controversy of a Conceptual Boundary ,
: 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.
: Typical of his later style, the figures are depicted with blurred lines and a sense of incompleteness, a technique used to evoke a feeling of memory rather than a static portrait.
: Following a period of public attention and institutional review, NYU eventually returned the specific tapes to the Larry Rivers Foundation. Current Status While Rivers framed the project as a boundary-pushing
Larry Rivers was a prominent American artist known for his work in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Born in 1923, Rivers gained fame for his unique style that blended elements of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.
Between , Larry Rivers filmed his young daughters at exact six-month intervals. The project began when Emma and Gwynne were approximately 11 years old, capturing their transition from childhood through puberty.
: The painting presents a series of figures across the canvas, mimicking the frames of a film to illustrate the chronological progression of time and physical change.
The 1981 painting remains a complex part of the artist's history, highlighting the debate over whether any aspect of life should remain private or if everything is subject to the artist's gaze.