The viewer vs The artist

This is a subject that I have been contemplating a lot recently. Would love to get your feed back.

When the viewer gives the work meaning.

In this scenario the viewer takes on the role of an audience and the artist that of a director of a play or conductor of a symphony. The idea is that the artist wants the viewer to see and think about the work on the artist’s terms and from their perspective. The artist wants full control over how work is perceived, the work has one meaning.

When the viewer interprets the story.

On the flip side, there is my approach I don’t present work with a specific meaning, the viewer must bring meaning to the work. This way the viewer must complete the piece with their own experiences and biases, the work isn’t finished until it is viewed. In this context, a single piece will have as many meanings as there are viewers. This does not mean that my art does not have purpose, but that purpose is for me and part of the creative process.

In this image I created in Staunton VA. last fall. Would it make the image stronger if I were to share my personal input or is it stronger if you fill in the story?