True to its title, the film tackles the anxiety of growing older as an artist who built a reputation on youthful, bohemian rebellion.
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.
🎥 Documentary: Growing (1981) Larry Rivers Director: Abyssinian Hardaway Genre: Art / Biography / Experimental 🎨 About the Film
Following Rivers' death in 2002, his archives were sold to New York University (NYU). However, in 2010, following a request from his daughters and a review of the ethical concerns regarding the privacy of the subjects, NYU returned the original tapes to the family. --- Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers LINK Download
The documentary , released in 1981, is a direct, fly-on-the-wall exploration of Larry Rivers. Instead of a traditional, heavily narrated biography, the film focuses on the act of creation.
The primary preservation copies of Larry Rivers' video works are held by institutions like the Larry Rivers Foundation , the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) , and the Smithsonian Archives of American Art . These institutions occasionally digitize works for scholarly access.
If you are watching this for a class or personal study, consider these questions: True to its title, the film tackles the
When searching for the documentary, make sure to use reputable sources to avoid any potential risks or copyright issues. You can try searching on popular streaming platforms or online marketplaces that specialize in documentaries and art-related content.
The most reliable way to access Larry Rivers' filmography is through major art institutions.
While NYU eventually agreed to seal the footage and keep it private during the lifetimes of the surviving daughters, the university refused to destroy the film entirely. As of the last public updates, the footage remains locked in the "special collections" library, awaiting a future generation’s academic curiosity. Blending visual art, spoken word, and experimental film
Larry Rivers was never content staying behind a canvas. Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, he was deeply embedded in the independent and underground filmmaking scenes of New York City. He collaborated frequently with iconic photographers and filmmakers like Robert Frank, appearing in the landmark Beat Generation film Pull My Daisy (1959) and co-directing the raw, experimental documentary Keep Busy (1975).
Larry Rivers died in 2002, but his influence on art remains profound. He broke down the, at the time, rigid distinctions between abstract art and figurative art, encouraging a generation of artists to experiment with mixed media, collage, and varied subjects.