I think the debate one whether or not realism is “real art” or whether or not it’s the end all be all of art can end when people view realism less like a style in and of itself and more of a tool. Drawing or painting “realistically” is a style but realism can be applied in many different facets of art
And not that realism is or should be essential for every artist to learn, but it can be a really big stepping stone that can make other preferred styles more feasible. Kinda like the way learning to navigate makes flying a plane easier. But navigation skills can be applied to many positions, and there are many other positions where you don’t need to learn to navigate at all and that’s still just as valid