ARARAT - In the early 1960s, year 11 student Geoff Todd dropped physics and chemistry to take up an art course.
It was a decision that would alter the course of his life.
Mr Todd said he was not sure if it was a love of art or a dislike of science that spurred his decision.
"I was trying to find something that I was happy working hard at," he said.
"If you find something you like doing, you don't mind working hard. Then there was the difficulty of making a living from art, which my parents pointed out at the time."
Mr Todd's hard work paid off - he has not only managed to turn art into a career, he recently launched one of the most - if not the most - popular exhibitions in the history of the Ararat Regional Art Gallery.
About 300 people attended the launch of 'Private Pop: prints, multiples, ephemera and the paintings of Geoff Todd', which was officially launched by Mr Todd's good friend, Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Leo Sayer.
The pair met at a book launch at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2005.
"The publishers got him to launch the book and I was the illustrator of the book," Mr Todd said.
"We hit it off and he came down to visit me in Ararat. Our friendship's been going since then."
Mr Todd said having Leo Sayer open the exhibition was a bonus.
"Leo seems to be very popular with Ararat's middle age people," he said.
"Some people even brought in old records to sign and he was happy to sign them all. He was very accommodating."
Mr Todd said it was fitting to have Sayer launch the exhibition as it revolved around idols and collecting items related to a pop star's life.
'Private Pop' features prints, multiples and ephemera from celebrated Pop-era artists, particularly British and American, who have inspired Todd since the mid 1970s. The exhibition includes an early and important purchase: Andy Warhol's 1981 silkscreen print, 'Father Christmas', from the artist's Myths series.
Mr Todd's paintings are displayed alongside his art collection, library and other objects, which usually take up residence in his house.
The Todds moved to Ararat from Arnham Land in the Northern Territory in 1989. They were introduced to the town by a friend, but it was when they saw the old Terminus Hotel that they decided to relocate.
"It was ideal. We live upstairs and work downstairs. It's full of stuff!," he said.
As a young artist, Mr Todd preferred to paint and draw in a realistic way, but his emergence as an artist coincided with a period in which abstraction was the dominant force in modern art. The Pop Art influence is stronger in his earlier work, but Mr Todd said there were still elements of the style in his contemporary pieces, even though his work had evolved.
"I had a lot of support from people who came down from the Gold Coast to see the show. They know my new work, but not my old stuff," he said.
Mr Todd said visitors from Darwin and South Australia also attended the opening.
"It's good for the town. I had one of the (Ararat Rural City) Councillors who came to the opening say, 'It's like Ararat has woken up'," he said.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is Mr Todd's 'Play Painting/Eat Art' performance piece, which he created during his six-month artist residency at the Victorian College of the Arts.
During the residency, Mr Todd toyed with colour-by-numbers and the idea of allowing others to play a role in his work. William Zappa and Brian Brown brought students from the dance and music programs, who all contributed to the piece directed by Mr Todd.
The painting was discussed in a recorded dialogue between Geoff Todd and Leo Sayer, which is on display at the gallery along with a recording of the music played by Zappa and Brown throughout the performance.
The interview has been transcribed in a limited edition artist's book, which is available for sale at the gallery.
The 'Private Pop' exhibition runs until September 25.
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