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What is Depth, or the Secret of the Night?
Even the word depth can be discussed philosophically. To look into the depths means to look down, maybe even into the depths of your own soul. In printing, depth refers to the darkness of tones, ranging from shades approaching black to those that are entirely black. The black tones in an image, especially in a black-and-white image, embody the darkness. An image that has many dark shades can have an effect that is mysterious, possibly even threatening. A look at the dark side of your soul can also be threatening. “Truly there is no wise man who does not know the dark which quietly and inescapably separates him from everything else.” These lines are from Hermann Hesse’s poem, “In the Fog.” The artistic ...
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