Brooklyn-based artist Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975) is internationally recognized for his captivating sculptures, which feature found images and painted passages compressed between dozens of panes of laminated glass. With their monumental scale and minute details, Yellin’s intricate and varied landscapes guide viewers on a journey of personal and cultural discovery. Close looking reveals references to humankind’s treasures (rare minerals, ancient artifacts, masterpieces of art history); its detritus (nuclear waste, rusting cars, decommissioned infrastructure); and its speculative future (jet packs, rockets, colonies on Mars). Through this expansive visual language, the artist blurs the boundaries between art, history, and science, proposing an integrated, holistic way of seeing and being.

In subject and practice, Yellin’s work defies conventional boundaries. Handcrafted yet technical, specific yet universal, fantastic yet scientific, each of Yellin’s two- and three-dimensional artworks embody his singular voice and vision. In this exhibition, Politics of Eternity (2020), a masterful, eleven-foot-long, seven-part sculpture, is shown alongside related works that extend its imagining of a future that mirrors the past into new narrative and creative dimensions. These include collages, small glass studies, and paintings that explore the seen and unseen impact of civilization’s progress on the natural world. By bringing together these dynamic and complex works, Dustin Yellin: Politics of Eternity offers viewers of all ages and interests countless avenues of exploration and examination.

Dustin Yellin: The Politics of Eternity is organized by the American Federation of Arts. The presentation at the Bruce Museum is organized by Jordan Hillman, Assistant Curator of Art.

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Politics of Eternity, 2020
Glass, epoxy, collage, acrylic, and steel, 98 x 129 ¼ x 19 ¼ in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Werner’s Crater, 2025
Collage and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 x 2 in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Hidden Passage, 2017
Glass, collage, and acrylic, 54 x 32 x 8 1/8 in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Map for Cliff Face, 2021
Collage, ink, and marker on photo paper, 30 ¼ x 23 ½ x 1 ½ in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Seed 14, 2026
Glass, epoxy, acrylic, and ink, 13 1/8 x 11 1/8 x 10 ¼ in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna

Dustin Yellin (American, b. 1975), Crack Painting I, 2025
Collage and acrylic on canvas, 50 x 40 x 2 in.
Courtesy of Dustin Yellin Studio, © Dustin Yellin
Photograph by Martyna Szczesna