Dustin
Yellin
Brooklyn-based artist and cultural philanthropist Dustin Yellin has risen as a leading figure in the global contemporary art scene since his first studio opening 20 years ago.
From early on in his career, Dustin Yellin has been an explorer of the relationships between time, nature, and chaos. Yellin’s works instill in us a feeling of wonder and appreciation for the sublime. His creative vision is centered around uncovering and exploring the connections between science, art, and nature, and through his artwork, he has made a significant impact on the global art community.
Yellin has consistently developed and evolved his creative process throughout his career. He is always reevaluating the materials used for his works as well as the medium they are presented in. Starting with graphite, acrylics and oil paint, Yellin quickly moved onto working with resin, glass and collage, refining both materials and processes. This unconventional approach has gained the attention of collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide.
As an advocate for the active collaboration of technology and art, in 2012 Yellin founded Pioneer Works, a non-profit culture center and artist residency based in Brooklyn, New York. There, he collaborates with leaders in the art, science and technology worlds, hosting discussions with Nobel Prize-winning scientists and innovative technologists, musical concerts, visual and performance art exhibitions, and community driven cultural engagement with neighbors and local artists.
Yellin’s works have been exhibited and collected by major museums around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum, Palacio de Bellas Artes, SCAD Museum of Art, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, City Museum, Colazione Solo, Corning Museum of Glass, Creative Time, and at the Amorepacific Art Museum in Korea.
Biography
Yellin’s works often depict a snapshot moment from a chaotic event and by doing so, capture the natural flow of time. The sculptures from his ongoing “Psychogeographies” series are created by painting and collaging detailed drawings on individual sheets of glass, then layering up to 28 layers of glass to create a single piece. The delicate layering of paintings and collages creates the illusion of 3D shapes. The process for his sculptures is unique, and the immense scale and detail of his works pull viewers into Yellin’s dreamlike worldview.
Through his work, Yelllin questions and explores the relationship between physical appearance and metaphorical identity. In "Cave Paintings" and additional canvas works, Yellin depicts landscapes and caves as imaginative worlds where secrets and stories are hiding, illustrating caves as symbolic occurrences beyond naturally-occurring instances.