The visual artists of today must interpret and adapt to the changes in today's modern world. His role is not clear cut as the digital world has opened up many different paths to take. I feel that this is a very exciting time for the artist to achieve great works in a very short time.
Having said all that, I don't know why we still have artists engaging in photo-realism. Yes, it was shocking and a bit controversial fifty some years ago when artists such as Richard Estes created very large canvases of photo-realistic scenes of New York city but like hula hoops, muscle cars, and punk rock, we move on.
Everyone today carries a camera on their phone and can take ten or twenty pictures a day. Then with a third grade education, you can make adjustments in Photoshop and have a professional quality photo. So what is the attraction with a photo on canvas done in oil paint? You cant display this work on your wall because you would become bored with it within hours.
The root of the problem involves our education of these artists. I am still walking into classrooms and observing students painting from photographs as if no other teaching method exists.