Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Jun 2026

" (1976–1981) is a controversial video series by American artist Larry Rivers

In 1981, the American artist Larry Rivers completed a 45-minute documentary film titled While Rivers was a celebrated "Godfather of Pop Art" known for his rebellious and innovative style, this specific project remains one of the most controversial and unsettling chapters of his career. The Project’s Origin growing 1981 larry rivers

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. " (1976–1981) is a controversial video series by

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 “messy” passages can feel calculated, unlike the

: Within the art world, the work is often analyzed as an example of a creator pushing past traditional social boundaries to document the human condition.

Rivers often sought to challenge social boundaries and use his personal life as primary material for his art. While some supporters and art historians view the work as a raw, documentary-style exploration of maturation and a significant artifact of the contemporary art scene, it has faced severe criticism regarding the ethics of parental boundaries and consent.