Our generation will be the first to pass down thousands upon thousands of digital memories to our beloved grandchildren. When life has salt and peppered our hair, they will have the gift of revisiting younger versions of us with digital clarity. Our laughter, voices, and even personalities will live on. (No wonder we carefully curate how we appear online… it’s for the grandkids.) A stroll through the Whitney Museum’s new exhibit ‘Contacts’ will show you the contrast between our way of photographing those we love to previous generations’.
How different is the art of photography from the art of loving?
Daring to capture your subject and daring to surrender your heart both need authenticity to be successful.
Ken Ohara, a 1970s photographer, achieved an authenticity in his photos that is extremely rare today - see for yourself at his exhibit and bring along a witness. He plucked a random person from a phone book and shipped them his camera pre-loaded with film. His camera traveled through America’s tight-knit small towns capturing these “random” people’s loved ones laughing, lamenting, and quarreling. His 35mm film strips were taken without rosy filters or from ideal angles - only raw emotion lived on the faces in the photographs.
If you need a break from the usual restaurant date or are looking to dive deeper with a potential sweetheart, let the white walls covered in art be your “table for two” on Saturday. Every laugh, cocked head or candid reaction is a peak into one another’s personality. A shared laugh at an unconventional piece or a whispered, “I could’ve made that” can lead to uncovering conversations rich with mutual discovery and perhaps a connection based on authenticity.
Although you’re young, your legs may grow tired from the long but rewarding time on your feet. Thankfully the roasted marshmallow hot chocolate served at the French Bakery in the Whitney’s lobby can perk you both up before you head home.
Exhibit Open: Oct 10, 2025–Feb 8, 2026
