I'm not sure if I can contribute to this interesting discussion but I will give you my view on a couple of things.
Tecnique vs art
Some people seem to think of art and techinque/photo-realism as opposites. Two different players in the world of expression and communication. I don't really see it that way. On the contrary, without the right technique you will be limited in the way you can create "art". And tecnique without meaning is also pretty pointless.
3D??
What do we mean with 3D images? The last supper is one of the best examples of 3D and the use of perspective to add interest in an image. It's done on a canvas but it's still very much 3D. I don't really care if you use a computer, a pen or whatever just as long as the results "speaks" to me (technically or as art).
But I think that there might be a danger in using computers to create art. It's quite easy to render a perfect scene with the use of a computer but it doesn't mean that anyone can create a new "The last supper". To paint a "3D" scene on canvas will take longer, giving you the time to reflect on every little detail. You will automatically put more of yourself into the end-result. You will have the time to reflect on your feeling for the subject etc...
/Moltas