Growing 1981 Larry Rivers Updated Jun 2026

Rivers filmed his daughters, Emma and Gwynne, at six-month intervals from 1976 to 1981.

Often called the "godfather of Pop Art" (though he preferred "figurative realist"), Larry Rivers was known for his loose, gestural style and irreverent subject matter. By 1981, Rivers had long since moved past his early Abstract Expressionist influences, fully embracing a multimedia, collage-like approach that blended painting, sculpture, and everyday objects. growing 1981 larry rivers

A nude male torso, likely a self-portrait of Rivers at age 58, though intentionally distorted. The skin is rendered in muddy pinks, ochres, and bruise-like purples. It is not a heroic, Michelangelo-esque body. Instead, it is a body in flux—sagging in some areas, unnaturally stretched in others. This is the "growing" body, but not outward; rather, it is growing heavier, older, and more complex. Rivers filmed his daughters, Emma and Gwynne, at

. Originally intended for a 1981 exhibition, the work features footage of Rivers’ two young daughters, Emma and Gwynne, as they grew up. History and Controversy A nude male torso, likely a self-portrait of

: Larry Rivers filmed his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, at six-month intervals from 1976 until 1981.