The subjects of the film have spoken publicly about the negative impact the filming process had on their lives and well-being, emphasizing the intrusive nature of the project. Availability Information
Growing was never commercially released. Prints exist at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Estate of Larry Rivers. A 2009 DVD compilation ( Larry Rivers: Films 1956–1981 ) is out of print.
Much of the video art and documentary footage captured around 1981 was recorded on analog formats like U-matic, Betamax, or VHS tapes. Many of these tapes remain un-digitized in museum basements or family estates. --- Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers LINK Download
The resulting footage contained explicit imagery:
To understand the film, one must understand the man. Larry Rivers was a polymath—a jazz saxophonist, painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. He rose to prominence in the 1950s, bridging the gap between and the burgeoning Pop Art scene. His work was known for its technical virtuosity, humor, and willingness to tackle "taboo" subjects, such as his famous reinterpretation of Washington Crossing the Delaware . What is the "Growing" Documentary About? The subjects of the film have spoken publicly
Nearly 45 years after its creation, remains a deeply uncomfortable artifact—a film that few have seen but many have debated. It is a work that simultaneously represents the peak of Rivers' boundary-pushing ethos and the nadir of his judgment. It is a documentary about growing up that its subjects wish had never been made.
If you’re searching for a , please avoid pirate sites. The film is not widely circulating illegally either—its obscurity works against piracy. Instead, try these legitimate avenues: A 2009 DVD compilation ( Larry Rivers: Films
By 1981, Larry Rivers was already famous as a proto-Pop painter and a irreverent polymath (jazz saxophonist, poet, filmmaker). His film Growing sits uneasily between structuralist documentary and homespun psychedelia.
The girls' mother stopped the public exhibition in 1981. Later in life, daughter Emma Rivers Tamburlini publicly condemned the project, labeling it nothing less than "child pornography" and citing her father's behavior as a direct cause for severe eating disorders and years of required therapy.
Looking for a rare avant-garde documentary gem? (1981) directed by Larry Rivers offers a poetic, intimate look at the creative process and the passage of time. Blending visual art, spoken word, and experimental film techniques, Rivers captures the raw energy of artistic growth—both personal and universal.