The Female Gaze by Robin Rivers reworks the visual storytelling of medieval stained glass windows into new mythologies which honor goddess traditions that Christianity systematically erased or absorbed.
Each piece functions as both archaeological excavation and creative reconstruction. Through this, I layer historical research about pre-Christian goddess worship with contemporary mixed-media techniques, thereby creating windows that might have existed if feminine divinity had survived suppression. In addition, my ethereal photography of water and light evokes cathedral transcendence while simultaneously centering figures like Brigid, Isis, Hekate, and other divine feminine archetypes.
Ultimately, this work examines how institutions shape collective memory through visual storytelling. By reconfiguring these powerful symbolic frameworks, I explore whose stories get preserved in sacred spaces. The stained glass format itself becomes a technology of cultural transmission. Each window teaches, inspires, and subsequently transmits values across generations of viewers.
