Allusions are elitist.
Art always exists in some context, even if it's only the language of the work and its setting. Allusions add to that context, but in a way that insidiously empowers a handful of authority figures.
Allusions make interacting with a work akin to a treasure hunt, where the audience uncovers the author's "true intentions" clue by clue through consuming outside commentary. The clues are sourced from cultural authorities, including critics (such as NYT poetry columnists), academics, and sometimes the authors themselves.
I reject this gatekeeping, preferring to elevate the hyperspecific experience of the individual audience member above the experience that authority figures seek to browbeat into the the audience.
Every individual first experiences a work with only the context that they bring themselves, and that individual's first interpretation is completely valid. Their own emotional, instinctual reactions are "correct" for them, even when they fail to acknowledge allusive references or otherwise clash with author intent.
"Popular" art which stands on its own without needing critical interpretation does more for its audience than art which requires the accompaniment of a cultural tour guide. And audiences sense it, which is why popular art will always be popular.
Art always exists in some context, even if it's only the language of the work and its setting. Allusions add to that context, but in a way that insidiously empowers a handful of authority figures.
Allusions make interacting with a work akin to a treasure hunt, where the audience uncovers the author's "true intentions" clue by clue through consuming outside commentary. The clues are sourced from cultural authorities, including critics (such as NYT poetry columnists), academics, and sometimes the authors themselves.
I reject this gatekeeping, preferring to elevate the hyperspecific experience of the individual audience member above the experience that authority figures seek to browbeat into the the audience.
Every individual first experiences a work with only the context that they bring themselves, and that individual's first interpretation is completely valid. Their own emotional, instinctual reactions are "correct" for them, even when they fail to acknowledge allusive references or otherwise clash with author intent.
"Popular" art which stands on its own without needing critical interpretation does more for its audience than art which requires the accompaniment of a cultural tour guide. And audiences sense it, which is why popular art will always be popular.