Controversial opinion that I had no idea was controversial until I shared it in a forum where I assumed a majority of people agreed with me of the week

Controversial opinion that I had no idea was controversial until I shared it in a forum where I assumed a majority of people agreed with me of the week: Works of art should be able to stand on their own. You should not need to read a book length explanation of a work of art in order to appreciate it.

There should at least be a hint of what the point of the work of art is, or what it’s about, within the work itself. The art should at some level justify its own existence. Otherwise, what is it for?

I don’t know why people are arguing with me about this.