Upcycling aesthetic: French Gothic Stained Glass

For my upcycling project I decided to follow the aesthetic of Gothic Stained glass. Often seen in cathedrals and churches, these fixtures can be used to fill viewers with any sort of emotion. These stained glass windows are characterized by their use of vibrant colors (usually blues, reds, and greens), and their complex designs. While they can be a mosaic of geometric patterns, they also often depict religious scenes, as they were often used as a way to inspire both awe and a sense of righteousness into church goers.

What drew me to this aesthetic for this project was the way that these pieces of art not only stand alone as works in their own right, but can transform a whole room into an art piece depending on the light. I want to take this aspect of stained glass and use upcycled materials such as broken glass from different bottles to create my own miniature stained glass piece. My idea for this piece is to either create a small pane of colored glass, or to use this same concept to make a projector of sorts.

The first idea I had was to just create a miniature stained glass window of recycled bottles, similar to the one pictured above, instead following the more geometrically patterned style of Gothic stained glass. This idea would be easier due to the lack of curves, however I think it would be more interesting to have a piece that can illuminate regardless of external light sources.

That led me to thinking about the projectors some people put up during Christmas time to shine patterns on their house. By combining the style of the Gothic stained glass with an artificial light, I hope to be able to package some of the wonder that cathedral windows provide into a movable fixture that can be used anywhere. In the end, I am aiming to make something similar to the projector pictured above, however made from recycled materials and with a more traditional style.

References

“French Gothic Stained Glass Windows.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Dec. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Gothic_stained_glass_windows.

Images

1] Bandl, Denise, and Adaptive Tech Solutions. “Star Projector.” Adaptive Tech Solutions, LLC, www.adaptivetechsolutions.com/star-projector-switch-toy-for-disabled/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

2]“R/Upcycling on Reddit: My First Stained Glass Ever, Made Entirely with Glass from Wine and Beer Bottles.” Reddit, www.reddit.com/r/upcycling/comments/otqfi1/my_first_stained_glass_ever_made_entirely_with/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.