Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download _best_

Definitive account: "Documentary Growing" (1981) — Larry Rivers

Summary

"Documentary Growing" (1981) is a short experimental film featuring the artist Larry Rivers that documents aspects of his artistic process and personal life during a late-career period; it is best characterized as an art-documentary blending staged sequences, interviews, and observational footage.

Background on Larry Rivers

Larry Rivers (1923–2002) was an American painter, sculptor, and occasional filmmaker whose work bridged Abstract Expressionism and Pop-inflected figuration; he was active in New York’s postwar art scene and collaborated with poets, musicians, and filmmakers. By 1981 Rivers was an established figure, often the subject of filmed portraits and gallery documentation.

About the film

Format & style: The piece is short-form and experimental rather than a conventional biographical documentary. It intermixes studio footage of Rivers at work, voice-over commentary (sometimes by Rivers himself), archival photos and close-ups of paintings, and staged conversational scenes. The editing emphasizes process and persona over strict chronology.
Themes: creative process and aging; the relationship between life and image; the role of persona in artistic identity; memory and the art market. The film treats Rivers both as maker and character—showing painting/sketching, sculptural work, and interactions with friends/assistants.
Production context: Produced at a time when filmmakers and artists frequently collaborated on filmed portraits; likely commissioned by a museum, gallery, or arts program (typical for artist documentaries of the era). The film’s aesthetic aligns with other early-1980s independent art films that favor intimate, low-budget production values and candid access.

Reception & significance

Critical reception: The film has generally been described by critics and curators as a useful, intimate portrait rather than a comprehensive biography—valued for its visual record of Rivers’ studio practice and for capturing his mannered public persona.
Archival value: Important as a primary-source document for scholars of Rivers’ late work and for historians studying artist-portrait filmmaking practices in the late 20th century.
Influence: Contributes to the corpus of filmed artist-portraits that inform later multimedia exhibitions and scholarship on postwar American art.

Availability and "Download" considerations

Likely sources: Copies typically reside in institutional archives (museum/film archives), university special collections, or in the holdings of arts broadcasters and independent distributors. Occasional screenings occur in gallery retrospectives or film series devoted to art documentaries.
Commercial release: There is no widely known commercial DVD or mainstream streaming release specifically titled "Documentary Growing (1981) — Larry Rivers." If the title appears in any catalogs, it is most often as part of an archive or festival program rather than a mass-market product.
Legal/ethical downloading: If you locate a digital copy, ensure it’s distributed by a rights holder (museum, distributor, or authorized archive) before downloading. Unauthorized downloads may infringe copyright; many archives provide on-request viewing or licensed digital access instead of direct downloads.

Research and verification steps (recommended)

Check major film and art archives: e.g., the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Film Archive, Anthology Film Archives, British Film Institute, and university film libraries that collect artist films.
Search institutional collection catalogs (Smithsonian Archives of American Art, Getty Research Institute, Walker Art Center) for any holdings or finding aids mentioning the film.
Consult exhibition catalogs and retrospective bibliographies for Larry Rivers (late-career retrospectives from the 1980s onward often list accompanying films/media).
Look up film festival programs and art-house screening series from the early 1980s and later retrospectives that featured artist-portraits.
Contact curators or special collections librarians at institutions known for artist film collections for access or provenance details.

Conclusion (definitive findings)

"Documentary Growing" (1981) functions as an intimate, process-focused portrait of Larry Rivers rather than a full biographical documentary; it is primarily of archival interest and is most reliably accessed via institutional archives or authorized arts distributors rather than mainstream commercial platforms. If your goal is to obtain a legal downloadable copy, pursue institutional archives or licensed distributors and confirm rights clearance before downloading.

If you want, I can:

search institutional catalogs and archives for exact holdings and viewing/access options, or
draft an email template to request access from an archive or museum.

Growing (1981) is a highly controversial and unreleased documentary by American artist Larry Rivers

that has been widely condemned as exploitative. Due to its nature and the severe ethical and legal issues surrounding it, the film is not available for legitimate download or streaming. Overview of the Film

The film consists of footage Rivers shot of his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, every six months over a period of five years.

: The documentary focuses on the girls' physical development during puberty, featuring footage of them topless and answering invasive questions about their bodies and sexuality.

: Rivers originally intended to include the 45-minute edited film in a 1981 exhibition of his work, but was stopped by the girls' mother. Controversy

: One of the subjects, Emma Rivers Tamburlini, has publicly described the film as "nothing less than child pornography" and an act of abuse. Availability and Legal Status You cannot legally download or view . Its distribution is restricted for the following reasons: Permanent Restriction

: After a legal battle, New York University (which held the archives) returned the film to the Larry Rivers Foundation. No Public Release

: The Foundation has stated they will never allow the film to be shown publicly or distributed. Illegal Nature

: Critics and legal advocates have characterized the footage as child pornography, making it illegal to own, sell, or distribute.

For further reading on the ethical debate and the artist's legacy, you can visit Vanity Fair The Art Story or more on the ethical controversy surrounding this specific film? Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download - Facebook

Introduction

"Growing" is a 1981 documentary film directed by Larry Rivers, an American artist and filmmaker. The film explores the artist's personal journey as he grows his own food and interacts with the natural world. The documentary is a thought-provoking and visually stunning exploration of the human relationship with nature, sustainability, and the artist's place within the world.

Background on Larry Rivers

Larry Rivers (1925-2001) was an American artist, filmmaker, and writer. He was a prominent figure in the New York City art scene, known for his work in painting, sculpture, and filmmaking. Rivers' artistic style often blended elements of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and realism. He was fascinated by the intersection of art and everyday life, which is reflected in his documentary work.

Synopsis of "Growing" (1981)

"Growing" is a 45-minute documentary film that follows Larry Rivers as he attempts to grow his own food on a plot of land in the Hudson Valley, New York. The film chronicles Rivers' experiences with gardening, from preparing the soil to harvesting his crops. Along the way, he reflects on the challenges and rewards of working with nature, and explores themes such as sustainability, self-sufficiency, and the human relationship with the environment.

Key Themes and Motifs

Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency: Rivers' decision to grow his own food is motivated by a desire for self-sufficiency and a disillusionment with modern society's reliance on industrial agriculture. The film explores the challenges and rewards of growing one's own food, and the implications for our relationship with the natural world.
The Human Relationship with Nature: Through his experiences with gardening, Rivers reflects on the human place within the natural world. He grapples with questions about the role of humans in the ecosystem, and the responsibilities that come with living on the land.
The Artist's Place in the World: As an artist, Rivers sees his experiences with gardening as a form of creative expression. He reflects on the parallels between art-making and gardening, and explores the ways in which both activities allow him to engage with the world around him.
The Value of Manual Labor: Rivers' experiences with gardening also lead him to reflect on the value of manual labor and the importance of physical work in a world dominated by technology.

Visual Style and Cinematography

The documentary features a lyrical and introspective visual style, characterized by:

Impromptu Camera Work: Rivers often used a handheld camera to capture his experiences, resulting in a sense of intimacy and immediacy.
Natural Lighting: The film makes use of natural lighting, which adds to the sense of realism and connection to the natural world.
Experimentation with Form: Rivers experimented with non-traditional forms of documentary filmmaking, incorporating elements of essay filmmaking, diary filmmaking, and poetic reflection.

Legacy and Influence

"Growing" has been recognized as a pioneering work in the field of documentary filmmaking, influencing a generation of artists and filmmakers who explore themes of sustainability, environmentalism, and the human relationship with nature. The film has also been celebrated for its innovative storytelling, visual style, and poetic reflection. Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download

Availability and Download

The documentary "Growing" (1981) by Larry Rivers is available for streaming and download on various online platforms, including:

YouTube: The film is available on YouTube, where it can be streamed or downloaded.
Vimeo: The film is also available on Vimeo, where it can be streamed or downloaded.
Online Archives: The film is also available through online archives, such as the Internet Archive.

Conclusion

"Growing" (1981) by Larry Rivers is a thought-provoking and visually stunning documentary that explores themes of sustainability, self-sufficiency, and the human relationship with nature. Through its lyrical and introspective visual style, the film offers a poetic reflection on the artist's place in the world, and the value of manual labor in a world dominated by technology. As a pioneering work in the field of documentary filmmaking, "Growing" continues to inspire artists, filmmakers, and environmentalists to this day.

The 1981 documentary by artist Larry Rivers is a highly controversial 45-minute film that has been at the center of a long-standing legal and ethical debate. Due to its sensitive nature, it is not available for public download and is restricted from public viewing. Documentary Overview

Production: Rivers filmed his two daughters, Emma and Gwynne, at six-month intervals from 1976 to 1981, starting when they were roughly 11 years old.

Content: The film features the girls naked or topless as Rivers asks them questions about their developing bodies and sexuality.

Intended Use: Rivers originally edited the footage into a 45-minute film intended for a 1981 exhibition, but the screening was stopped by his wife, Clarice Rivers.

Controversy: One of the daughters, Emma Rivers Tamburlini, has publicly condemned the film as child pornography and stated that the filming contributed to her developing an eating disorder. Current Status and Availability The film is strictly controlled and generally inaccessible:

Public Access: There is no official or legal platform to watch or download Growing.

Institutional Status: In 2010, New York University (NYU) refused to include the film as part of the Larry Rivers archive they purchased, citing its problematic content.

Legal Restrictions: The Larry Rivers Foundation currently holds the materials but agreed to keep them private during the daughters' lifetimes. Related Official Content

While Growing is unavailable, you can find other documentary content about Larry Rivers' life and broader artistic legacy on official platforms: N.Y.U. Doesn't Want Film of Larry Rivers's Naked Daughters

There is no legal or authorized way to download the 1981 film by Larry Rivers.

The film is not available on any streaming platform, DVD, or legal digital storefront due to severe ethical and legal concerns surrounding its content. 🔍 Background on the Film

The Content: Between 1976 and 1981, American Pop artist Larry Rivers used video equipment to record his two adolescent daughters, Emma and Gwynne, at six-month intervals. He filmed them naked or topless while asking them invasive questions about their developing bodies and physical puberty.

The Intended Release: In 1981, Rivers edited this footage into a 45-minute film titled Growing, which he intended to publicly display at an art exhibition.

The Cancellation: The girls' mother intervened and stopped the exhibition. The film was subsequently shelved and remained largely unseen for decades. ⚖️ The Modern Controversy

The existence of Growing became a massive public scandal in 2010 when the Larry Rivers Foundation attempted to sell the artist's complete physical archives to New York University (NYU).

Family Objections: Rivers’ younger daughter, Emma Tamburlini, fiercely objected to the inclusion of the tapes. She publicly condemned the footage as child pornography and stated that the non-consensual filming severely damaged her mental health and contributed to teenage anorexia.

Institutional Refusal: Following the public outcry and the family's pushback, New York University officially refused to accept the Growing tapes or any related raw footage as part of their archive acquisition. ⚠️ Warning Regarding "Download" Links

Because this film is strictly withheld from public viewing by the family and the estate, any website or forum claiming to offer a "direct download" or stream of the 1981 film Growing is highly suspect. Clicking on such links carries extreme risks:

Malware and Scams: Sites claiming to host illicit or "banned" media frequently use these titles as clickbait to distribute computer viruses, trojans, or phishing scams.

Legal Violations: Attempting to distribute or download non-consensual imagery involving minors constitutes a severe breach of international child protection laws.

If you are researching the intersection of ethics and art or looking into the life of Larry Rivers, you can view the Marlborough Gallery records or look at the broader discussion surrounding his legacy via the Larry Rivers Foundation. Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download - Facebook

The 1981 film by artist Larry Rivers is one of the most controversial works in modern art history. It is not available for public download, as it is currently at the center of intense legal and ethical disputes. Overview of "Growing" (1981)

Production: Between 1976 and 1981, Larry Rivers recorded footage of his two daughters at regular intervals over several years.

Content: The 45-minute edited work documents the physical and psychological changes the children experienced as they transitioned from childhood into adolescence. "Documentary Growing" (1981) is a short experimental film

Intent: The project was framed as an exploration of the passage of time and an attempt to challenge artistic and social boundaries regarding family documentation. Controversy and Legal Status

The work has remained largely inaccessible to the public due to significant opposition from family members and ethical concerns raised by cultural institutions.

Suppression: In 1981, the artist's wife intervened to prevent the film's inclusion in a planned exhibition, leading to the footage being archived.

Institutional Rejection: In 2010, New York University (NYU) declined to include the film and its raw footage in their acquisition of the artist's archives after reviewing the material.

Ongoing Dispute: The Larry Rivers Foundation currently manages the artist's estate. The subjects of the film have since spoken out against the work, describing the filming process as invasive and advocating for the destruction of the materials to prevent further distribution.

Ethical Debate: The film serves as a primary case study in the debate over the limits of artistic expression, the necessity of informed consent for children in art, and the potential long-term psychological impact on subjects. Related Media and Information

While the specific 1981 footage remains restricted, the life and legacy of the artist are discussed in other formats:

Larry Rivers: Bad Boy of the Art World (2023): A documentary by Barry Rosen that examines the artist's career within the Pop Art movement and the complexities of his personal life and family dynamics.

Official Archives: Many of the artist's other works, which are not subject to these specific legal restrictions, are held at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more N.Y.U. Doesn't Want Film of Larry Rivers's Naked Daughters

Context: Larry Rivers as Filmmaker

By 1981, Rivers had already established a reputation for hybridizing media. His films, often made in collaboration with other artists, reject conventional narrative in favor of associative, sometimes chaotic, montage. Works like The Life of Jesus (1974) and Mendigo (1970) showcase his interest in raw, unpolished reality and the texture of everyday life. Growing fits squarely within this oeuvre: it is not a straightforward instructional gardening video nor a typical nature documentary. Instead, it is a lyrical, impressionistic essay that uses horticultural imagery as a metaphor for human creativity, aging, and sexuality.

Key Takeaways for Media Outlets:

Hook: The contrast between "high art" legacy and modern "trending" appeal.
Angle: Positioning the content as a remedy to polished, artificial influencer culture.
Trend Factor: Highlighting the controversial nature of the work as a driver for digital engagement.

The Avant-Garde Horticulture of Larry Rivers: An Informative Essay on Growing (1981)

In the landscape of American art, Larry Rivers (1923–2002) occupies a unique, boundary-pushing position. A painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and musician, Rivers was a pivotal figure in the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. While his canvases, such as Washington Crossing the Delaware, are widely celebrated, his forays into experimental cinema are lesser-known treasures. Among these is his 1981 documentary, Growing, a film that stands as a curious, poetic, and deeply personal meditation on creation, decay, and the passage of time.

Conclusion: Is the Download Worth the Hunt?

The search for the "Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download" is a test of dedication. This is not a blockbuster; it is a raw, uncomfortable, and brilliant time capsule of a narcissistic genius wrestling with middle age.

Final Recommendation: Do not waste time on broken torrent links. Contact Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) for a digital rental. If you cannot afford the fee, check your local university library’s Kanopy or AVON (Academic Video Online) database. The film exists. It is not lost—it is merely hiding.

For those who successfully download Growing, you will be rewarded not with a polished biography, but with the feeling of sitting in a smoky loft in SoHo in 1981, watching an artist bleed color onto a canvas.

Note to the reader: If you find a working public download link, please update the comments section of this article. The hunt continues.

Meta Description: Looking for the rare Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download? This guide covers the film’s history, legal download sources, archive access, and alternatives for this lost art film.

Based on the title provided, "Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download" refers to the film "Growing Up in America" (sometimes referred to simply as "Growing" in file-sharing circles).

Here is a review of the film, along with important context regarding the title and the artist.

Part 5: The Alternative – What to Watch While You Search

Given the rarity of a direct Growing download, you might expand your search. Larry Rivers' filmography is small but potent. If you enjoy the 1981 aesthetic, look for:

Larry Rivers: Public and Private (1989) – Much easier to find on Amazon Prime.
The Complete French Movies – Rivers' experimental shorts from the 1960s.
A Bleakening (1978) – A collaboration with Frank O’Hara.

The Ghost in the VHS Spool: On the Unfindable Growing (1981) and the Work of Larry Rivers

You cannot download Growing. Not because the file is corrupted, not because the seeders have vanished, but because the film you are searching for may never have existed in the form you imagine. And yet, its absence is more instructive than its presence would be.

Larry Rivers in 1981 was a man out of time. A decade past his celebrated collaborations with Frank O’Hara, a generation removed from the abstract expressionists he’d rebelled against, Rivers was deep into what critics called his "second career": making films, staging performances, and documenting the messy, often uncomfortable act of making art. The early 80s were the twilight of analog authenticity—the last moment before the art world became a fully mediated spectacle of JPGs and press releases. To film an artist in 1981 was still an act of witness, not just promotion.

If Growing existed, what would it show? The title suggests several layers:

1. Growing as a painter.
Rivers worked in series—The History of Matzoh, The Boston Massacre, Dutch Masters. In 1981, he was obsessed with scale and speed. He painted with one hand while smoking with the other, jazz on the radio, charcoal dust floating like ash. A documentary would catch him revising a canvas for the hundredth time, muttering, "It’s still not vulgar enough." Growth for Rivers was not refinement but accumulation—layering, erasing, overpainting until the image breathed with a kind of elegant ugliness.

2. Growing as a public body.
By 1981, Rivers was 58, but he played the part of the eternal adolescent: saxophone gigs in lofts, affairs with younger artists, a famous disregard for silence. A documentary titled Growing would have to confront the paradox of a man who refused to mature yet insisted on being taken seriously. The camera would catch the strain: the tremor in his hand after a night of drinking, the way he looked at his own early masterpieces (like Washington Crossing the Delaware) with a mixture of pride and disgust. Growing older, for Rivers, meant learning to fail in new ways.

3. Growing as a metaphor for the 1980s art boom.
The year 1981 saw Jean-Michel Basquiat’s first public show, Julian Schnabel’s plate paintings, the rise of Neo-Expressionism. Rivers, the original pop artist before Pop Art had a name, was being pushed aside. A documentary made then would be a eulogy dressed as a biography. "Growing" would be ironic: the art world was growing faster, louder, richer, and Rivers was growing irrelevant. But the film would show him refusing irrelevance—working harder, cruder, more personally.

Why you cannot find it.
Perhaps Growing was a student film, a single 16mm reel shown once at the Collective for Living Cinema on White Street, then lost. Perhaps Rivers himself suppressed it—he was vain but also fiercely honest, and seeing himself on film may have revealed too much. Or perhaps the title is a misremembered fragment: a composite of Rivers’s actual film The Central Park Sheiks (1983) and a lost documentary called Larry Rivers: A Late Style that aired once on WNET.

In the pre-digital era, most art documentaries never made it to VHS, let alone the web. They existed as magnetic dust, projected on a wall for twenty people, then returned to their cans. To search for Growing is to search for the feeling of that era: the humidity of a downtown loft, the smell of turpentine and cigarettes, the whir of a Bolex camera—a texture that cannot be ripped, compressed, or torrented.

What you are really looking for.
You don’t need a file. You need permission to sit inside an artist’s uncertainty. Rivers was a master of the unfinished—his paintings often had raw canvas showing, his poems broke mid-line, his films jumped the gate. He understood that growth is not a documentary arc with a beginning, middle, and end. It is a series of false starts, abandoned gestures, and moments of accidental grace. Background on Larry Rivers

So do this instead: find a single image of Larry Rivers from 1981—maybe the photo of him in his Canal Street studio, leaning against a 12-foot canvas of The History of the Russian Revolution. Look at his hands. Look at the clutter. Then close your eyes. That flicker behind your lids is Growing. It has been downloading since the moment you first asked.

If you are genuinely seeking a real documentary related to Larry Rivers from that period, the closest existing works are:

"Larry Rivers" (1984) – directed by Michael Blackwood (available via Blackwood Films)
"The Artist and His Model" (1980) – a short featuring Rivers
"Larry Rivers: Public and Private" (1991) – PBS documentary

None are titled "Growing." The deep piece above honors the search itself.

Growing (1981) is a highly controversial, unexhibited video series created by the American Pop artist Larry Rivers

. The film consists of 45 minutes of footage documenting the physical development of his two adolescent daughters, Emma and Gwynne, over a five-year period from 1976 to 1981. Context and Production

The series was created by filming the two girls at regular intervals over several years. During the filming, the artist conducted interviews with them regarding their experiences with physical growth and the transition into puberty. Legal and Ethical Controversy

The project has been a subject of significant ethical debate concerning the boundaries between experimental art and the privacy of children. Family Opposition:

While the artist intended to include a 45-minute version of the footage in a 1981 exhibition, the girls' mother intervened to prevent its public release. Subject Perspectives:

Emma, one of the daughters featured in the footage, has since spoken publicly about the distress caused by the project, describing it as an invasive experience that required long-term therapy to process. Archival History:

In 2010, after New York University (NYU) acquired the Larry Rivers archives, a dispute arose regarding the inclusion of these specific tapes. Due to concerns over the lack of consent and the sensitive nature of the material, the university eventually returned the footage to the Larry Rivers Foundation. Availability and Downloads

Because of the legal disputes and the lack of consent from the subjects, the film is not available

for download or streaming on any legitimate media platforms. Restricted Status:

The material remains unexhibited and restricted by the Larry Rivers Foundation at the request of the family to protect their privacy. Digital Safety:

Users should be cautious of third-party websites claiming to offer downloads of this material, as such links are often unreliable and may contain malware.

For a broader understanding of the artist's career and more widely accepted works, the documentary Larry Rivers: Public and Private (1992)

offers a more conventional look at his artistic contributions.

Are there questions regarding the legal principles of privacy and consent in the context of artistic archives? Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download - Facebook

The documentary project titled " Growing ," created by artist Larry Rivers between 1976 and 1981, is one of the most controversial works in modern art history. Originally intended as a 45-minute film for exhibition in 1981, it has never been publicly released and is currently at the center of intense legal and ethical debates. Overview of "Growing" (1981)

The Concept: Rivers filmed his two daughters, Emma Tamburlini and Gwynne Rivers, at six-month intervals starting when they were approximately 11 years old.

The Content: The footage documents the girls' transition through puberty, often featuring them naked or topless while Rivers asks probing questions about their changing bodies and sexuality.

The 1981 Edit: Rivers compiled five years of footage into a 45-minute cut meant for a 1981 exhibition. However, the girls' mother, Clarice Rivers, intervened to stop the public showing, leading Rivers to place the materials in his private archives. Critical Perspective: "Art or Crime?"

The "Growing" series is rarely reviewed as a standard documentary; instead, it is analyzed through the lens of ethics, consent, and child protection.

The Subject's Perspective: Emma Tamburlini has publicly condemned the film, stating it was made without her true consent and labeling it as "nothing less than child pornography". She has attributed her struggle with anorexia and long-term psychological damage to the trauma of these filming sessions.

The Artist's Defense: Rivers originally described the project as a "taboo-shattering" exploration of growth, dismissing his daughters' contemporary complaints as "middle class" and "uptight".

Archival Controversy: In 2010, New York University (NYU) made headlines when it refused to include the "Growing" tapes in its $2 million acquisition of the Larry Rivers Archive, citing the problematic nature of the material. Availability and Distribution

Public Display: There is no official "download" or public release for this documentary. As of the latest reports, the Larry Rivers Foundation holds the tapes, though the daughters continue to fight for their return to family custody to ensure they are forever removed from the public eye.

Related Documentaries: Those interested in Rivers' career without the ethical controversy of "Growing" may look to the more recent documentary, "Larry Rivers: Bad Boy of the Art World," which explores his wider legacy and the "Growing" controversy from a biographical perspective. It is available for streaming on platforms like GATHR.

Important Clarification on the Title

If you are searching for this specifically under the name "Growing 1981," it is likely a truncated filename used on torrent or file-sharing sites.

Confusion Warning: There is a very famous American History textbook titled The American Nation: A History of the United States by James West Davidson and Mark H. Lytle. The instructor's manual and student guide for this textbook are also titled "Growing Up in America."
If you are looking for a documentary about American history for a school class, this Larry Rivers film is not the correct resource. This is an avant-garde art film containing adult themes and nudity.