Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Work Jun 2026

When Rivers turned to painting in the late 1940s, studying under the legendary abstractionist Hans Hofmann, New York was firmly in the grip of Abstract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning dominated the discourse. While Rivers deeply admired de Kooning’s aggressive brushwork, he rejected the absolute elimination of the figure.

Beginning in 1976, Rivers set out to document the physical and psychological changes of his two adolescent daughters, Gwynne and Emma, as they navigated puberty. Twice a year for five years, he filmed them at his home, often asking them to appear topless or entirely naked. The Outcome of the Project growing 1981 larry rivers

: Accompanying the visual documentation, Rivers interrogated his daughters about their feelings regarding their bodies and burgeoning sexuality. When Rivers turned to painting in the late

Larry Rivers, a figure often associated with the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art, was known for using his personal life as primary source material. In the mid-1970s, this inclination took a turn that would later be heavily scrutinized. Beginning in 1976, Rivers set out to document

The film remains one of the most controversial aspects of Rivers' legacy: