"If something is successful with the audience, it's automatically suspect; the reverse is to say that not to reach audiences is the greatest compliment an artist can receive!"

Carlisle Floyd's quote touches on an enduring argument in the art world worrying the relationship in between appeal and artistic benefit. When Floyd says, "If something succeeds with the audience, it's automatically suspect," he is attending to the perception that commercial success can weaken creative reliability. This view stems from the belief that extremely popular works might have jeopardized originality or depth to deal with mainstream tastes, thereby losing the qualities that define real art. It's a viewpoint held by many who believe that art should challenge its audience, provoke thought, and possibly make them unpleasant or lead them to brand-new awareness.

The quote continues, "the reverse is to state that not to reach audiences is the greatest compliment an artist can receive!"-- a statement steeped in irony. Here, Floyd critiques the concept that alienating or puzzling audiences is inherently more noble or commendable. This flipside point of view recommends that if a work does not discover approval or is not quickly absorbable, it should have a level of sophistication or daring that more popular works lack. Floyd is highlighting the absurdity of valuing obscurity or inaccessibility for their own sake.

Eventually, Floyd's quote calls into question the criteria by which art is judged. It implicitly asks whether creative value ought to be determined by audience reception or by independent standards of imagination and profundity. The idea challenges both artists and critics to reevaluate how they specify quality and success. Rather than sticking to extremes-- valuing only what either the masses or choose elite groups appreciate-- Floyd encourages us to recognize that real art can transcend these binary evaluations. Art's worth isn't demarcated solely by its popularity or exclusivity; rather, it lives in its capability to resonate, inspire, and withstand, despite its immediate reception.