To think of what defines the artworld, one has to engage in a discursive argument that would continue for quite some time. A urinal hung on a wall, a painting completed in all white, a diamond encrusted platinum skull, people sitting on a floor eating pad thai, these moments is art continue to push boundaries and mark the ambiguity of what art history strives to define. An idealist would say that art is anything. It is a point of contention, a shared experience, and even a political rallying cry. The possibilities are endless. A traditionalist would define art in specific terms, probably following the cannon of painting, drawing and sculpture to organize their perspective. Either way the threads that connect culture to the public become even more tenuous either by placing art on an altar that no one can reach or making it in distinguishable from everyday actions.

As of late the question of what is plausible has been on my mind. This is due to a dynamic series of conversations entitled Plausible Artworlds by Philadelphia based group Basekamp. These discussions explore “cultural ecosystems” that differentiate themselves from the dominant models that pervade art. By looking at an array of intersections, interactions and collaborations, they hope to share practices that live at the periphery. In these actions artists play multiple roles as problem solver, community organizer, or archivist. Each Tuesday evening an informal discussion takes place via Skype with artists speaking about the negotiation of various practices.

Week one began in conversation with Sean Dockary and Fiona Whitton of The Public School and aaaarg.org. Forming a foundation for Plausible Artworlds, the school and archive provide a range of shared courses that are developed and defined by the public. The project began at the Telic Arts Exchang in 2007 and now has several schools in North America and Europe. Framed by autodidactic activities, the school creates unique opportunities for those interested to come together around various topics, doing so in an open environment.

In week 5, German artists Henrik Mayer and Martin Keil of REINIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT spoke about their exploration of the intersection of art and society. In projects such as Orientation System to the New and Renaming Streets in Williamsburg/Brooklyn, the group reorganizes and resituates the visual and textual organization of space to elicit associations with future possibility. In Readymade Demonstration a discrepancy is made in history by re-staging an East German demonstration in Columbus, Ohio to explore peoples engagement in society.

Several weeks later the discussion turned to the role of the artist in society with a conversation with Barbara Steveni of Artist Placement Group (now O + I). Here the boundaries between the arts and other areas of human endeavor were further broken. Along with John Latham and several others, Steveni organized this group in the 1960’s London to explore the artist’s status in society. They placed artists with in businesses and governmental organizations to locate the artist as a much broader participant in society.

While these conversations continue to loosen the foundations of dominate models of art, they also ask the question of what role the artist and their work should play in present day society. Is it enough to visually satisfy the needs of an already over-stimulated public? Or, should art play an active role in supporting community and driving conversations? The answer could be neither or it could be both.

What I continually return to is this idea of plausibility. It no only connotes truth, but also deception. It points toward positive outcomes, but remains unsure of itself, leading to uncertainty in the audience. Art constantly plays on this plausibility. It attempts to grasp utopian ideals, yet its relevancy remains hard to define. In Plausible Artworlds there is a desire to show that art can be a creative force for rethinking the every day. Striving not to answer the culture greatest questions, but having a definitive effect on people’s lives.

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Conversations take place every Tuesday from 6-8pm EST via Skype
Skypename: “basekamp”