Architecture Alumnus Victor Mirontschuk to Discuss '2020 Unmasked' Photo Book

Tremont Street in Boston; photograph by Susan Baggett

Rockefeller Center in New York; photograph by Victor Mirontschuk

MPD on K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.; photograph by Robin Fader

Washington Street in Boston; photograph by Susan Baggett

Wall Street in New York; photograph by Victor Mirontschuk

Washington, D.C.; photograph by Robin Fader

Thomas Paine Park in New York; photograph by Victor Mirontschuk

Victor Mirontschuk

This photo taken in Thomas Paine Park in New York is included in the new book, "2020 Unmasked."

Victor Mirontschuk, a University of Arkansas architecture alumnus, recently published a book of photographs with two friends and collaborators. In 2020 Unmasked, they documented the year that saw so many historic and turbulent moments — including the coronavirus pandemic, protests for racial justice, and an intense political season.

These collaborators will give a lecture about the book and their work at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Vol Walker Hall — with Mirontschuk speaking from Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier Hall and photographers Susan Baggett, Robin Fader and Ari Espay joining him virtually.

Their lecture is presented by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The public can register to attend this lecture virtually via Zoom.

Mirontschuk received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1974. After founding the firm EDI International in 1976 in Houston, he's photographed countless architectural projects during his career.

He now lives and works in New York City, and he took a National Geographic workshop in 2013 that changed the way he approaches photography. He regularly carries a small digital camera in his pocket — these days, a Sony Rx 100. And he snaps views of what he sees on the city's streets, along with various special events. He also travels to locales around the world specifically to photograph the people and cultures of those places.

In March 2020, Mirontschuk had returned from a photography trip to Vietnam and Singapore, just as coronavirus cases were starting to spread, and he had to quarantine for two weeks. Then, New York City went into lockdown. He continued going to his office at EDI International every day, even though most employees were working remotely.

"The streets were totally empty, devoid of people, cars, everything," he said.

He's lived in New York for 20 years. Though he'd taken some photographs of 9/11, he felt he'd missed the chance to more fully capture that historic moment. He was determined not to miss another chance with the pandemic.

On March 25, 2020, he posted an image on his Instagram account (@edivictor) showing the Flatiron Building and a completely empty street, with the caption: "Coronavirus New York." A simple agreement was made in the post comments. Fader wrote, "You do NYC, I'll do DC." Then Baggett, "And I'll do Boston."

The three photographers started documenting their respective cities, with the goal of having an exhibition. Mirontschuk captured New York City, Baggett photographed Boston, and Fader photographed Washington, D.C. They met weekly online for a year and a half to review what they'd captured and to curate the top choices from the work. And they worked with a photo editor, Ari Espay, who'd led that National Geographic workshop.

When taking architectural photographs for his work over the years, Mirontschuk was accustomed to waiting for people to be clear of his shot. In the pandemic, that wasn't a problem.

"I realized I could only do empty spaces for so long. So, I started then focusing on people in this situation," he said. He challenged himself to get creative with how he took the photos and their composition.

Mirontschuk captured a lone jogger on the Brooklyn Bridge, framed in the circle of his bicycle mirror. One image shows a masked man sorting packages on Bleecker Street, while another shows a lone woman in prayer on a church pew in Brooklyn. In others, jazz musicians play on a street corner to masked passersby, and a masked and gloved waiter serves outdoor diners.

"It was almost apocalyptic in the city, to see nothing and then just a few people walking around occasionally," he said.

He found the emptiness of the streets startling. In a city typically filled with ceaseless sounds, he only heard ambulance sirens. He also happened upon a deceased person covered in a white sheet on a SoHo neighborhood sidewalk.

Mirontschuk and his fellow photographers planned to continue taking pictures through July.

Then, George Floyd was killed on May 25 in Minneapolis. And protests erupted in cities across the country.

Mirontschuk, Fader and Baggett attended dozens of peaceful protests, populated by people of all races and ethnicities. "Humanity was outraged," he said.

Then, political unrest grew leading up to the November presidential election. "It's just amazing how the country's divided," he said.  

The photographers ended up taking pictures during the whole year. In 2020 Unmasked, they chose to present these 350-plus images mostly in black and white.

"Because we were trying to document history, sometimes color distracts from what you're trying to show. And so, we started doing black and white," he said.

A few color photos are in the book — to add some pizzazz to the book and because the scenes shown in some images read better in color.

Over 2020, these three photographers spent hours in the streets of their three cities, chronicling the similarities and peculiarities of how these national events played out. Mirontschuk considers the resulting volume a sort of legacy, of capturing moments in time.

They have given talks and plan to discuss their work with many groups, including a national American Institute of Architects webinar; Frank Meo's Virtual Projections, a monthly photography presentation; and a podcast for the University of Ohio. Additionally, the Boston Globe and Michigan press have written glowing reviews of the book, and it's received two Honorable Mentions in the 2021 International Photography Awards, in the categories of documentary book and self-published book.

"All those are confirmation, I think, that we produced something that has some value and merit, some historical significance," Mirontschuk said.

The 2020 Unmasked photographers and photo editor can be found on Instagram at @edivictor (Mirontschuk); @s_baggett (Baggett); @robinfader (Fader); and @ari_espay (Espay).