Following Rivers’s death in 2002, the sought to preserve his legacy by selling his personal archives—including the Growing tapes—to New York University (NYU).
: The official Larry Rivers Foundation website maintains a list of his films, including his roles in underground classics like Pull My Daisy and his documentary work in Africa.
In 1981, Rivers attempted to edit and exhibit the 45-minute cut. His daughters' mother, Clarice, intervened and stopped the public exhibition, effectively locking the footage away in Rivers's private vaults. The Re-emergence and Legal Blockade Documentary Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Download
If you want a legitimate copy for research or personal enjoyment, ignore the pirate sites (which typically host malware). Instead, follow these archival pathways:
Faced with enormous backlash, ethical concerns, and potential legal exposure regarding child exploitation material, NYU officially rejected the tapes. In July 2010, NYU returned the "Growing" films directly to the Larry Rivers Foundation, refusing to hold them in university libraries. Art vs. Exploitation: The Lasting Debate Following Rivers’s death in 2002, the sought to
The 1981 documentary Growing , featuring the iconoclastic American artist Larry Rivers, stands as a remarkable cultural artifact at the intersection of post-war contemporary art and avant-garde filmmaking. Directed by Michael Blackwood, a prolific chronicler of the 20th-century art world, this film offers an intimate, unvarnished look at Rivers during a pivotal transitional phase of his career. For art historians, students, and cinephiles looking to explore this rare piece of visual history, understanding the context of the documentary and how to legitimately access it today is essential. The Significance of Larry Rivers in 1981
An analysis of the history of this banned project, the legal battles surrounding it, and why it remains entirely unavailable for download outlines the critical context of this controversial work. What is the 1981 Documentary Growing ? His daughters' mother, Clarice, intervened and stopped the
While looking for a quick digital download link can be frustrating, several legitimate avenues exist for researchers, educators, and fans looking to view rare documentaries like Growing :
In the vast digital ocean of streaming content, certain gems remain buried, accessible only to those who know precisely what they are looking for. If you have stumbled upon the search phrase you are likely not a casual viewer. You are an archivist, an art student, or a connoisseur of the post-war New York art scene.
Because the film depicts underage individuals in a state of nudity under conditions that the subjects themselves have legally challenged as non-consensual and exploitative, distributing or downloading this footage crosses severe legal boundaries regarding child exploitation materials.