Larry Rivers

Larry Rivers (American, born 1923) was a painter, sculptor, and musician who helped bridge Abstract Expressionism and Pop by bringing recognisable imagery back into advanced painting. His work often reinterpreted historical portraits, celebrities, and everyday symbols with a loose, improvisational touch that feels part jazz riff, part critique. Rivers embraced collage, text, and mixed media, frequently blurring the line between homage and subversion. He was also an influential teacher and cultural figure whose cross-disciplinary approach shaped generations of artists.