Rock Island, IL: What can you learn from photographing a single tree, over and over again? You'll hear the answer at Tuesday's presentation of "Mark Hirsch: That Tree: An Unintended Adventure" at the Rock Island Public Library. The free program is at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, March 22 at the Main Library location, 401 19th Street.
Hirsch, the Quad City Arts artist in residence, will present on his That Tree photography project, which started when he was recovering from a near fatal car accident in 2012. A friend suggested he use his iPhone to document a lone Bur Oak tree in a photo per day. Hirsch, a career photojournalist as well as an artist and naturalist, embraced the challenge. The result was a transformative experience of healing and self-discovery. His presentation combines storytelling and the photography from his book, “That Tree,” to teach creative concepts and share some of the life lessons he learned from completion of his ongoing book project. "That Tree spoke to me of patience and dedication, hidden beauty and personal healing," wrote Hirsch.
The iconic images of the lone tree in a Wisconsin cornfield have since attained viral status and attention from news outlets around the world, including CBS Sunday Morning, NBC, NPR, PBS, Chicago Tribune, the Daily Mail and the Guardian newspapers in the United Kingdom, Le Monde, The San Francisco Chronicle and the Huffington Post. The photos are the subject of his residency, and a coffee table book, That Tree, published in 2013.
For more information about Rock Island Library hours, services and programs, visit the library's mobile-friendly website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ, or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.
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About the author/presenter:
Mark Hirsch spent 20 years in the newspaper industry as a photojournalist, photo editor and visuals editor before embarking on a freelance career in 2006 as a editorial, corporate and landscape photographer. He lives in Platteville, Wis, and works out of Dubuque, Iowa. Hirsch will be in the Quad Cities during the weeks of March 21, March 28, and April 4.