Growing 1981 Larry Rivers -

Growing (1981) is a quintessential late-career Rivers piece. It features:

Upon completing the editing in 1981, Rivers faced immediate opposition. His former wife, Clarice Rivers, strongly objected to the film being shown publicly. Consequently, the project was suppressed and stored in private archives, remaining largely out of public view for several decades. Rediscovery and Public Debate growing 1981 larry rivers

True to the title, Rivers intersperses painted and collaged images of plants, vines, and root systems. However, these are not delicate flowers. The roots look like arteries; the vines wrap around the figure’s limbs like constraints. One section of the canvas features a blown-up, Xeroxed image of a tree ring—a direct symbol of biological "growing" that doubles as a bullseye for time. Growing (1981) is a quintessential late-career Rivers piece