So... hello friends.
I literally just made an account on here to get in on this, because WHAT?! I mean, if that thread title isn't troll-bait, I don't know what is.
Maybe I missed it, but I'm surprised no one has brought up the importance of how our individual art tastes influence our aesthetic opinions. Inevitably, some people will like certain styles, some people won't. I would instead have a conversation about WHY I like so-and-so's art and what pops out to me as aesthetically successful, which some of you have done :]
However, calling any art "soulless" immediately degrades the conversation into the same chasm where the classic "playing guitar fast is soulless" argument resides (which I believe was conveniently brought up).
Some of you might know me from my Magic art Tumblr blog, but if you don't, I'm an art student who happens to love ALL Magic art. The great thing about the different eras of Magic illustration is that you can tell a lot about the game's aesthetic progression by appreciating its artistic evolution. This is not meant to qualify whether the art has gotten "better" or "worse", only that it has evolved to fit the needs and demands of a constantly changing mechanical landscape.
Personally, as a fervent Vorthos, I really appreciate Jeremy, Brady, Richard, and all of Creative's constant push toward a more unified concept for each new story setting. A big part of this, of course, it also unifying the artistic look of each set and block. With Theros as the most recent example, that means many motifs, color palettes, costumes and silhouettes are inevitably repeated throughout the set/block's design. Yes, things will look slightly similar from card to card as a whole, but it also means you will easily be able to identify the plane of Theros as a story setting.
As an animator, I see the Magic card art frame much less like a canvas, and much more like a screen. That is, a window into a constantly shifting and engaging Multiverse. That's why I love this game so much.
In short: art changes. Visual tastes change, techniques change, the industry changes. However, what doesn't change, things like good composition, good story-telling, good visual movement, are much higher on the aesthetic scale, and should therefore be the focus of our criticisms.
Bless you, friends :]