For years, Growing was notoriously difficult to find. It never received a widespread commercial DVD release in the digital era, existing mostly on obscure VHS tapes traded among collectors or in museum archives.
Short-form videos that tell captivating, hyper-specific stories perform exceptionally well. You can produce mini-documentaries on major 1981 pop-culture milestones.
Growing “1981 Larry Entertainment” is not about resisting trends. It is about . The most successful retro brands—from Stranger Things (1980s) to Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1990s callbacks)—prove that audiences crave discovery of the past presented with present-day pacing.
features footage of his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, as they progressed through puberty. Overview of "Growing" (1981)
Rivers was a pioneer in incorporating video and multimedia into his artistic practice. In Growing , the camera itself becomes a character. Rivers often interacts directly with Demetrakas and the crew, challenging the traditional boundaries of the documentary format. This self-reflexive approach mirrors his visual art, where layers of history, memory, and raw paint often coexist on a single canvas. A Snapshot of the 1980s Art Scene documentary growing 1981 larry rivers download updated
: One of the subjects, Emma Rivers Tamburlini, has publicly condemned the film, describing it as "child pornography" and stating that the experience was exploitative and contributed to her developing an eating disorder. Availability and Legal Status
: The film is not available on mainstream streaming platforms, DVDs, or public archives.
Rediscovering Rage and Realism: Larry Rivers’ Growing (1981) and Where to Find It
(2023), explores Rivers's career and addresses these controversies through interviews and expert commentary. Key Locations & Related Institutions Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download - Facebook For years, Growing was notoriously difficult to find
The 1981 documentary series Larry Rivers is one of the most controversial works in modern art history
Larry Rivers changed the trajectory of art by proving that figurative art could be modern, cynical, energetic, and profound all at once. The 1981 documentary, "Growing," is a crucial component of that narrative, showcasing a master who never stopped evolving.
Between 1976 and 1981, Rivers filmed his two daughters at six-month intervals to document their transition from childhood to adolescence. While Rivers viewed it as an objective artistic study of human development, the footage—often featuring the girls topless or naked—sparked immediate backlash from his family. Why You Can’t Find It Today Family Intervention:
Currently, the film is withheld from public view and distribution to respect the privacy and wishes of Rivers’ children. Where to Watch Larry Rivers Instead You can produce mini-documentaries on major 1981 pop-culture
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are the best drivers for rapid audience growth. To capture the 1981 aesthetic, focus on high-energy, fast-paced edits.
The days of hunting through defunct blogs for a broken LimeWire link are over. The search for now has a happy ending.
While Growing is a critical piece of 1980s art-meets-rock history, it is currently orphaned in the digital marketplace. Your best bet for viewing is through video-sharing platforms or fan-preservation networks, as no official updated
The film is now primarily cited as a case study in Art vs. Crime , representing the "terrible" side of Rivers' career where his pursuit of transparency and provocation caused real-world harm to his family. Updated Availability & Download Info
Unlike mainstream Hollywood films from 1981, experimental video art does not have a massive commercial distribution network, meaning it rarely makes it onto mainstream streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Download and Streaming Status: The Updated Reality
Historical traditions of the nude form; avant-garde subversion of domestic norms; exploration of familial intimacy via cinema-vérité.