RYAN WEIDEMAN

Weideman makes his living driving a cab and, when his passengers agree to it, makes art by snapping their portraits in the back seat. The results are dense images that chronicle more than two decades of lower Manhattanites. "Self-Portrait with Woman and Cat" is a study in jolting contrast that pits big-city sophistication against urban loneliness. "Self-Portrait with Vampire and Nymphet" packs a potent dose of dark perversity, while "Six Girl Crack-Up," a rare early picture in which Weideman doesn't appear, is an innocent burst of bottle-blond joy. The tour de force, "Self-Portrait with Salsa Betty," frames a menacingly explicit peep show behind the taxi's plastic partition, while in the foreground Weideman's sad eyes bear witness to the viewer's voyeurism. Through Jan. 5. (Silverstein Photography, 535 W. 24th St. 627-3930.)