Deborah Robin: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern U; Regional Dir. of Ops., Keller Graduate School of Mgmt.; Art History Instructor, Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Monday, October 19th, 2026: 3:00 – 4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom
For centuries, Western artists generally shared certain assumptions about art: it should be made by hand, display technical skill, and represent the visible world. Then came the camera, two world wars, and a century of upheaval and artists began rewriting those assumptions. In this six-part series, we’ll watch the old certainties give way one by one and discover how the modern world transformed the purpose of art. No background in art is needed; just curiosity.
In Part 3 of 6, Dr. Deborah Robin explores how Europe rushed into the modern age; many artists felt both exhilarated and deeply unsettled. Rather than painting the world as the eye sees it, German Expressionists painted how it feels—using bold color, distorted forms, and energetic brushwork to express emotion rather than appearance. For these artists, the purpose of art was no longer to copy the world but to express the inner life.