WIMMERA residents can take a peek at Melbourne's burgeoning cultural scene during the 1970s and 1980s through a new photographic exhibition.
Artist Peter Milne's exhibition Juvenilia opened at the Horsham Regional Art Gallery on Friday. The exhibition features 70 photographs of Milne's friends and family, including a few famous faces.
Milne started taking photos of his school friends, including actor Gina Riley and musician Rowland S Howard, when he was just 16.
He went on to photograph upcoming musicians Boys Next Door and friend - and former Warracknabeal resident - Nick Cave.
Through his lens, Milne captured hidden moments of daily life documenting parties, music concerts and road trips.
Milne said he hoped the exhibition would bring people joy.
"I'm hoping these photographs will intrigue, delight and confuse people," he said.
"I think people will come away feeling nostalgia especially if they share part of this history. Sometimes it's most interesting to me when people with no connection or knowledge of this stuff encounter it and find themselves drawn to it."
One of Milne's next projects includes a biography about Ludwig II of Bavaria using the medium of photomontage.
"He was often referred to as the 'mad king', but I think he was just very creative and sensitive during a time when that wasn't acceptable," he said.
"It's been a passion project of mine for about two years. Nothing I do will ever make money; I have to find other ways to do that.
"One of the best decisions I made, a number of years ago, was that I was always going to be poor and do what I wanted to do. Sure enough I'm poor, but I follow my passions and accept what happens as a result.
"If you are really serious about being an artist, you shouldn't ask questions like 'how do I make money out of this?'."
Juvenilia was curated by Helen Frajman and Linsey Gosper. It will be on display at the Horsham Regional Art Gallery until May 3.
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