"The current thrust in 3d seems to be hyper-realism which is counter productive to good art. If you want realism then go buy a point and shoot camera."

I gather from this that you are not a fan of Hollywood movies which use hyper-realistic CG quite extensively to great effect. Also, please tell me where the ruins of the hyper-realistic Metropolis can be found in the real world as I would love to go and shoot some snaps among the ruins with my point and shoot camera!

How is realism counter productive to good art any more than any other genre. It's just another form of art, which probaly takes alot longer to do than say a still life or abstract. 

CG allows you to create anything your mind can think of, wether it be realistic or surreal!