I have come to view Art as an ever radiating sphere, somehow uniting everyone in some way as Art effects everyone in some way. But that does not mean that all Art has the same gravity. Painting, as far as we know, came first, as has a distinct magic that exists in its explorations and evolutions to this day. With the break from narrative and objectivity that happened in the early part of the 20th century, painting’s potential for the discovery of yet unknown realities grew exponentially.
At its core, Art is a quest down the rabbit whole of Reality to better understand existence, the opposite side of the coin to science perhaps. Art as narrative, as illustration, as expression, all come from that, and have varying gravities connected to their relevance to that core search. The works of Michelangelo have more gravity, more power in the truth of their creation than say a superhero comic, not because of the subjective way we might relate to these respective Arts but because of the breakthroughs in achievement and understanding generated by the work itself despite its meaning, representation, or narrative. That said, more people in the world know the name and stories of Batman, or Superman, or even Bart Simpson, than Michelangelo. Societal or cultural impact does not in and of itself represent the gravity of Artwork. Ask Van Gogh, whose works had no impact at all in his own time. Now, you can’t even walk into a dentist’s office without seeing a print of Sunflowers or Starry Night (I have a problem with Art prints, as they detract from the singularity of the painting/painter relationship, but that is another subject.)
The sphere of Art inherently unites the subjective and the objective in their respective places, in order that Art may maintain its deep core power and still speak in some way to everyone.