>>nothing ... nihilistic Wow, that's nearly the exact opposite of the way my brain interprets it — that he's seeing an infinitely rich tapestry, the wonder of

>>nothing ... nihilistic Wow, that's nearly the exact opposite of the way my brain interprets it — that he's seeing an infinitely rich tapestry, the wonder of emergent properties and consciousness throughout the universe, from the smallest scales to the grandest, and we, self-referentially seeing ourselves as a part of that grandeur. Not that we're anonymous atoms in an unconscious universe, but that we're part of a universal consciousness, possibly the most key part, as we are the particular (perhaps particularly privileged) atoms that are now "standing… atoms with consciousness… matter with curiosity". Seems it really is in the eye of the beholder, and often more of a reflection of our own state of mind than of the artist's intent.