Alan was born in 1953 in Margaret River, Western Australia. As a small child he developed an ongoing love of drawing. When he was eight years old his family moved from Bunbury to the inland Wheatbelt town of Merredin, where at age 12 he finally persuaded his parents to buy him a small set of oil paints. He then began learning to paint by trying to copy Masters from books, along with instruction and encouragement from his School Teachers and local adult Artists.
In 1970 he achieved equal top mark in Western Australia for Art in the Leaving Certificate and was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship for tertiary studies. He was offered a place in Fine Art but due to parental insistence, in 1971 began an Associateship in Design course at the Western Australian Institute of Technology, now Curtin University. He began full time work in late 1973 as a Designer for the Western Australian Museum.
In 1977 he exhibited paintings for the first time in the Seven Young Western Australian Artists at the Undercroft Gallery, University of Western Australia. His first solo exhibition of paintings was in 1980 at Fremantle Arts Centre. Three solo exhibitions followed at Gallery 52, Claremont. These included two portraits that were finalists in the Archibald Prize.
In 1984 he was offered a Senior Designer position with the History Trust of South Australia and moved to Adelaide to design a new Migration Museum - the first of it's kind in Australia. Alan held two solo exhibitions at Anima Gallery in North Adelaide.
In 1987 he moved to Sydney to take up a Senior Designer position at the new National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour. Alan lived in Redfern and exhibited regularly in alternative art spaces in Redfern, Newtown and Surry Hills.
In 1997 Alan returned to Perth to focus on his Art career and held seven solo exhibitions at Gallery East, North Fremantle. Since 2000 he has lived in the northern coastal suburbs of Perth, where he has a home studio.
Muller's work portrays the spiritual significance of place and references the complete history of the Swan and Canning Rivers and surrounding landscapes prior to Western settlement and acknowledges the region's traditional owners. Muller consults with an Aboriginal Elder and Traditional Owner regarding his use of Noongar language in titles. Muller's practice is driven by a deep respect for Aboriginal culture and traditions and a yearning for a more honest and comprehensive representation of the West Australian landscape. Alan's practice embodies a consistent and thorough investigation into the Western Australian landscape's spiritual and historical significance.
Melody Smith
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Derbarl Yerrigan Swan River: Paintings 2010-20 and New River Drawings. Linton and Kay Gallery Subiaco April/May '20
2019 Tides: Paintings of Derbarl Yerrigan - Swan River, Council House, City of Perth, St Georges Terrace Perth
Sponsored and presented by the City of Perth for the National Trust Heritage Festival 2019
19 April to 22 June 2019
2019 Tides: Paintings and Drawings of Derbarl Yerrigan Swan River, Linton and Kay Mandoon Estate Gallery, Swan Valley.
4 May to 27 May 2019
2017 Perth 360: A Survey of Paintings 1997-2017. Main Gallery, Wanneroo Cultural Centre
16 September to 18 October 2017
2015 River Drawings - Nyisztor Studio, Melville. WA. 6th - 20th September 2015
2014 Derbarl Yerrigan, Djarlgarro Beelier - Swan and Canning Rivers, Melody Smith Gallery, Carlisle
2012 Derbarl Yerrigan - The Swan River, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2010 Soulburbia, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2008 Perth Night Stories, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2006 Perth Night Paintings, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2005 Metro Coast SMS - paintings of Perth's Coast, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2003 Illumine – works painted on location at Gracetown, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2001 Urban Elemental - new paintings of Perth – Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
1996 Beauty and the Bridge – Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, South Australia,
Gallery Café, Surry Hills, NSW
1994 Bare Gallery, Newtown, NSW
1993 Portraits 2, Artrage Festival, PICA, Perth Cultural Centre, WA.
1993 Portraits 1, Bare Gallery, Newtown, NSW
1993 Drawings – Airspace, Redfern, NSW.
1990 Paintings – Gallery Café, Surry Hills, NSW
1985 Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA.
1987 Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA.
1984 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1983 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1981 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1980 Fremantle Arts Centre, WA.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Shire of Mundaring Open Art Acquisition Exhibition, ‘Place and Space’ Mundaring Arts Centre
2018 Royal Agricultural Society Art Award for Landscape - finalist
2018 Minnawarra Art Awards, Armadale - finalist
2016 Shire of Mundaring Open Art Acquisition Exhibition, Mundaring Arts Centre
2016 Minnawarra Art Award, Armadale District Hall, Armadale
2015/16 Scene, Nyisztor Studio, Melville
2014 Black Swan Heritage Art Award, Finalist, Brookfield Tower, Perth
2014/15/16 Busselton Art Award, Finalist, Art Geo, Busselton
2014 Albany Art Prize, Finalist, Albany Town Hall, Albany
2013 Albany Art Prize - Finalist - Albany Town Hall, Albany
2013 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Biennial Art Award
2013 Black Swan Heritage Art Award 2013 Finalist - Linton Kay Gallery, Brookfield Place, Perth.
2013 Bunbury Biennale - Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, Bunbury
2012 A Child is Born Exhibition, Wesley Church, Perth
2012 Black Swan Heritage Art Award 2012 Finalist - Linton Kay Gallery, Brookfield Place, Perth
2012 Mandorla Art Award 2012 - Perth Town Hall, City of Perth
2012 Aurum - Mundaring Arts Centre
2012 'Safe Keeping', National Trust Heritage Festival of WA, Perth Town Hall
2010 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Biennial Art Award
2009 Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, WA
2008 Stations of the Cross Exhibition - Wesley Church, Perth
2001 - 09 City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award, Joondalup, WA
2007 Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, WA
2002 Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne, VIC
2001 - 02 City of Perth Invitation Art Award, Perth, WA
1986 Adelaide Festival Exhibition, Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA
1983 Archibald Prize Finalist, New South Wales Art Gallery, NSW
1982 Archibald Prize Finalist, New South Wales Art Gallery, NSW
1978 - 79 Perth Portrait Prize
1977 Seven Young Western Australian Artists - Undercroft Gallery, UWA
Awards
2020 Western Australian Heritage Awards Commendation Award for Tides: Swan River Stories, Council House Perth.
2015 Busselton Art Awards, Commendation Award.
2015 Wanneroo Art Awards, Commendation Award, Painting
2014 Wanneroo Art Awards, Commendation Award, Works on Paper
2013 Royal Agricultural Society Art Awards - Category 2 Highly Commended
2012 Wanneroo Art Awards - Winner
2012 Joondalup Community Art Awards - Category Painting
2011 Royal Agricultural Society Art Awards - Public Choice Award
2011 Minnawarra Art Awards, City of Armadale - Category 2, Highly Commended
2007 City of Albany WA - Category 2 Best Oil/Acrylic
2005 City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award WA - People’s Choice Award
2004 Town of Vincent WA - Category 3 Vincent Award
2004 City of Stirling WA - Category 2 Award
1983 Fremantle Arts Centre, WA - Winner Open Painting Award
1979 Perth Portrait Prize, WA - Category 2 Award Best Western Australian Entry
Collections
Artbank, Armadale Redevelopment Authority Collection, Lawrence Wilson Gallery – UWA; Edith Cowan University, Central Tafe Collection, Royal Perth Hospital Collection, City of Perth, City of Stirling, City of Fremantle, City of Wanneroo, Shire of Mundaring, Army Museum of Western Australia, Private Collections.
Commissions
2015 City of Wanneroo, ANZAC Commission, Australian Resilience
1986 Adelaide Festival of Arts Poster for the Adelaide Festival Centre
In 1970 he achieved equal top mark in Western Australia for Art in the Leaving Certificate and was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship for tertiary studies. He was offered a place in Fine Art but due to parental insistence, in 1971 began an Associateship in Design course at the Western Australian Institute of Technology, now Curtin University. He began full time work in late 1973 as a Designer for the Western Australian Museum.
In 1977 he exhibited paintings for the first time in the Seven Young Western Australian Artists at the Undercroft Gallery, University of Western Australia. His first solo exhibition of paintings was in 1980 at Fremantle Arts Centre. Three solo exhibitions followed at Gallery 52, Claremont. These included two portraits that were finalists in the Archibald Prize.
In 1984 he was offered a Senior Designer position with the History Trust of South Australia and moved to Adelaide to design a new Migration Museum - the first of it's kind in Australia. Alan held two solo exhibitions at Anima Gallery in North Adelaide.
In 1987 he moved to Sydney to take up a Senior Designer position at the new National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour. Alan lived in Redfern and exhibited regularly in alternative art spaces in Redfern, Newtown and Surry Hills.
In 1997 Alan returned to Perth to focus on his Art career and held seven solo exhibitions at Gallery East, North Fremantle. Since 2000 he has lived in the northern coastal suburbs of Perth, where he has a home studio.
Muller's work portrays the spiritual significance of place and references the complete history of the Swan and Canning Rivers and surrounding landscapes prior to Western settlement and acknowledges the region's traditional owners. Muller consults with an Aboriginal Elder and Traditional Owner regarding his use of Noongar language in titles. Muller's practice is driven by a deep respect for Aboriginal culture and traditions and a yearning for a more honest and comprehensive representation of the West Australian landscape. Alan's practice embodies a consistent and thorough investigation into the Western Australian landscape's spiritual and historical significance.
Melody Smith
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Derbarl Yerrigan Swan River: Paintings 2010-20 and New River Drawings. Linton and Kay Gallery Subiaco April/May '20
2019 Tides: Paintings of Derbarl Yerrigan - Swan River, Council House, City of Perth, St Georges Terrace Perth
Sponsored and presented by the City of Perth for the National Trust Heritage Festival 2019
19 April to 22 June 2019
2019 Tides: Paintings and Drawings of Derbarl Yerrigan Swan River, Linton and Kay Mandoon Estate Gallery, Swan Valley.
4 May to 27 May 2019
2017 Perth 360: A Survey of Paintings 1997-2017. Main Gallery, Wanneroo Cultural Centre
16 September to 18 October 2017
2015 River Drawings - Nyisztor Studio, Melville. WA. 6th - 20th September 2015
2014 Derbarl Yerrigan, Djarlgarro Beelier - Swan and Canning Rivers, Melody Smith Gallery, Carlisle
2012 Derbarl Yerrigan - The Swan River, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2010 Soulburbia, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2008 Perth Night Stories, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2006 Perth Night Paintings, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2005 Metro Coast SMS - paintings of Perth's Coast, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2003 Illumine – works painted on location at Gracetown, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
2001 Urban Elemental - new paintings of Perth – Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA
1996 Beauty and the Bridge – Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, South Australia,
Gallery Café, Surry Hills, NSW
1994 Bare Gallery, Newtown, NSW
1993 Portraits 2, Artrage Festival, PICA, Perth Cultural Centre, WA.
1993 Portraits 1, Bare Gallery, Newtown, NSW
1993 Drawings – Airspace, Redfern, NSW.
1990 Paintings – Gallery Café, Surry Hills, NSW
1985 Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA.
1987 Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA.
1984 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1983 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1981 Gallery 52, Claremont, WA
1980 Fremantle Arts Centre, WA.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Shire of Mundaring Open Art Acquisition Exhibition, ‘Place and Space’ Mundaring Arts Centre
2018 Royal Agricultural Society Art Award for Landscape - finalist
2018 Minnawarra Art Awards, Armadale - finalist
2016 Shire of Mundaring Open Art Acquisition Exhibition, Mundaring Arts Centre
2016 Minnawarra Art Award, Armadale District Hall, Armadale
2015/16 Scene, Nyisztor Studio, Melville
2014 Black Swan Heritage Art Award, Finalist, Brookfield Tower, Perth
2014/15/16 Busselton Art Award, Finalist, Art Geo, Busselton
2014 Albany Art Prize, Finalist, Albany Town Hall, Albany
2013 Albany Art Prize - Finalist - Albany Town Hall, Albany
2013 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Biennial Art Award
2013 Black Swan Heritage Art Award 2013 Finalist - Linton Kay Gallery, Brookfield Place, Perth.
2013 Bunbury Biennale - Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, Bunbury
2012 A Child is Born Exhibition, Wesley Church, Perth
2012 Black Swan Heritage Art Award 2012 Finalist - Linton Kay Gallery, Brookfield Place, Perth
2012 Mandorla Art Award 2012 - Perth Town Hall, City of Perth
2012 Aurum - Mundaring Arts Centre
2012 'Safe Keeping', National Trust Heritage Festival of WA, Perth Town Hall
2010 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Biennial Art Award
2009 Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, WA
2008 Stations of the Cross Exhibition - Wesley Church, Perth
2001 - 09 City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award, Joondalup, WA
2007 Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, WA
2002 Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne, VIC
2001 - 02 City of Perth Invitation Art Award, Perth, WA
1986 Adelaide Festival Exhibition, Anima Gallery, North Adelaide, SA
1983 Archibald Prize Finalist, New South Wales Art Gallery, NSW
1982 Archibald Prize Finalist, New South Wales Art Gallery, NSW
1978 - 79 Perth Portrait Prize
1977 Seven Young Western Australian Artists - Undercroft Gallery, UWA
Awards
2020 Western Australian Heritage Awards Commendation Award for Tides: Swan River Stories, Council House Perth.
2015 Busselton Art Awards, Commendation Award.
2015 Wanneroo Art Awards, Commendation Award, Painting
2014 Wanneroo Art Awards, Commendation Award, Works on Paper
2013 Royal Agricultural Society Art Awards - Category 2 Highly Commended
2012 Wanneroo Art Awards - Winner
2012 Joondalup Community Art Awards - Category Painting
2011 Royal Agricultural Society Art Awards - Public Choice Award
2011 Minnawarra Art Awards, City of Armadale - Category 2, Highly Commended
2007 City of Albany WA - Category 2 Best Oil/Acrylic
2005 City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award WA - People’s Choice Award
2004 Town of Vincent WA - Category 3 Vincent Award
2004 City of Stirling WA - Category 2 Award
1983 Fremantle Arts Centre, WA - Winner Open Painting Award
1979 Perth Portrait Prize, WA - Category 2 Award Best Western Australian Entry
Collections
Artbank, Armadale Redevelopment Authority Collection, Lawrence Wilson Gallery – UWA; Edith Cowan University, Central Tafe Collection, Royal Perth Hospital Collection, City of Perth, City of Stirling, City of Fremantle, City of Wanneroo, Shire of Mundaring, Army Museum of Western Australia, Private Collections.
Commissions
2015 City of Wanneroo, ANZAC Commission, Australian Resilience
1986 Adelaide Festival of Arts Poster for the Adelaide Festival Centre