I have been reading a mystery thriller about an art dealer who discovers the work of an ‘outsider' artist but can't locate the artist himself.  To justify showing the work despite this he explains that the artist does only half the work, it is up to the art dealer to make the work into "art"........ essentially contextualizing the work so it can be seen as the commodity "art".

I have to think about this idea because it has the ring of truth but of an unpleasant tone.