Art: personal associations changing its value for you

The more I think about why I like certain pictures or songs or movies, I come up with simply it is how well I respond to it on a personal level. This is mainly done through the associations I make between the art and some enjoyable, inspiring, or interesting feeling I have.

Also if I associate some art with something that I dislike, this works for the negative. And the way I can like it, is just try and forget about that connection, and either make some other more positive connection or no connection.

When artists create (or citics critique) art they don't know how or what other people will associate it with, but it seems to be a good/successful artist (or critic) they have a skill at manipulating peoples associations to the positive side.

I'm kind of rambling, but looking for some insight from some of the art theorists or critics here as to how much the way observers associate the work of art with something else plays into how much they appriceate or dislike it.