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Abstract
Through photography, the city is not merely a spatial space, but also positioned as a medium. The subjects of the photographs are presented in a political context to depict the reality between humans and the city. This article investigates the relationship between photography and urban space through Erik Prasetya's photographic works, which are divided into two forms. First, the visual representation of workers on the street. Second, the representation of women in relation to the image of modernity. Using Gillian Rose's visual methodology, visual data is analyzed to show the representation of the working class on the one hand, and women on the other. The results of the study indicate a gap between the image of modernity and the working class. The working class in Jakarta struggles to experience modernity fully. Meanwhile, in the second classification, the visual analysis reveals that metropolitan women are portrayed as having freedom in private spaces (malls with all their modernity), even though what is actually represented is the bondage to the pressures of modernity itself.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Daru Tunggul Aji, Ahmad Sofiyuddin bin Mohd Shuib, Amar Leina Chindany, Novan Jemmi Andrea

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References
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- Schwartz, D. (2012). Images in the news: Photojournalism. In J. Finn (Ed.), Visual communication and culture: Images in action. Oxford University Press.
- Sontag, S. (1977). On photography. Anchor Books.
- Starrett, M. (2020). Street photography and the flâneuse. Visual Communication Quarterly, 27(3–4), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2020.1798145
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References
Anwar, S. (2020). Gaya hidup dan perilaku kaum urban pekerja kelas menengah Jakarta di era global. Pekobis: Jurnal Pendidikan, Ekonomi, dan Bisnis, 5(1), 5–24.
Arnold, E. (2021). Photography, composition, and the ephemeral city. Area, 53(4), 659–670. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12725
Banerjee, R., & Mitra, S. (2025). Reconstituting the 'good woman': Gendered visual politics on social media during the 2021 state election in West Bengal, India. Convergence, 31(3), 941–970. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241287588
Barker, C. (2009). Cultural studies: Teori & praktik. Kreasi Wacana.
Barthes, R. (2010). Imaji, musik, teks. Jalasutra.
Bate, D. (2016). Photography: The key concept (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Bonetto, E., & Lo Monaco, G. (2018). The fundamental needs underlying social representations. New Ideas in Psychology, 51(June), 40–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2018.06.003
Cole, N. L. (2024). Goffman’s front-stage and backstage behavior: Understanding a key sociological concept. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/goffmans-front-stage-and-back-stage-behavior-4087971
Deverteuil, G., & Doucet, B. (2024). Critical visual approaches to understand the complexities and contradictions of the city: Introduction to the special issue for Visual Studies. Visual Studies, 39(1–2), 114–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2023.2290943
Goffman, E. (1956). The presentation of self in everyday life. University of Edinburgh Social Sciences Research Center.
Hadley, J. (2022). Street photography ethics. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 25(4), 529–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-022-10316-6
Hall, S. (Ed.). (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage Publications.
Intan, T. (2021). Sastranesia, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.32682/sastranesia.v9i2
Kamps, J. H. (2020). Street photography. In Focus on photographing people (pp. 105–116). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780240814704-11
Košir, S., & Lakshminarayanan, R. (2023). Do visual constructs in social science textbooks evince gender stereotypes and bias? A case study from India. Gender and Education, 35(1), 69–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2022.2144626
Kusrini, K. (2016). Fotografi jalanan: Membingkai kota dalam cerita. Journal of Urban Society’s Arts, 3(2), 102–109. https://doi.org/10.24821/jousa.v3i2.1482
Luhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extension of man. McGraw-Hill Education.
Luvaas, B. (2022). Shadow worlding: Chasing light in Yogyakarta. American Anthropologist, 124(2), 399–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13725
Mains, S. P. (2022). Unruly landscapes and the City of London: Mobility studies, street photography, and Stephen McLaren’s The Crash. Transfers, 12(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.3167/TRANS.2022.120105
Massey, D. (1994). Space, place, and gender. University of Minnesota Press.
McCullough, K. M. (2024). Critical discursive psychology and visual displays of gender. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 21(4), 483–511. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2023.2243850
Novianti, E., Tahalea, S. A., & Dewanti, A. R. (2023). Kajian estetika fotografi urban “#JakartaBelumHabis” karya Chris Tuarisa. Rekam, 19(1), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.24821/rekam.v19i1.7582
Orisich, S. (2018). What ‘difference’ does a camera make? Crime, youth, and representation in mid-century Mexico City. Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies, 27(2), 231–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569325.2018.1450741
Prasetya, E. (2014a). Jakarta post card: Street, rain, & style. Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.
Prasetya, E. (2014b). On the street photography. Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.
Purnomo, A. S. A. (2025). Citra surealisme jalanan: Analisis street photography karya Roy Rubianto melalui konsep hasard objectif dan the marvelous. Specta: Journal of Photography, Arts, and Media, 9(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.24821/specta.v9i1.15033
Ray, L. (2020). Social theory, photography and the visual aesthetic of cultural modernity. Cultural Sociology, 14(2), 139–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975520910589
Rizov, V. (2024). A walk in Thomas Annan’s Glasgow: Documentary photography, class and urban space. Journal of Urban History, 50(3), 583–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/00961442221095892
Rose, G. (2001). Visual methodologies: An introduction to the interpretation of visual materials. Sage Publications.
Schwartz, D. (2012). Images in the news: Photojournalism. In J. Finn (Ed.), Visual communication and culture: Images in action. Oxford University Press.
Sontag, S. (1977). On photography. Anchor Books.
Starrett, M. (2020). Street photography and the flâneuse. Visual Communication Quarterly, 27(3–4), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2020.1798145
Svarajati, T. (2013). Photagogos: Terang-gelap fotografi Indonesia. Suka Buku.
Türkay, M. Ç. (2025). Deconstructing hegemonic gaze in photography. Turkish Online Journal of Design Art and Communication, 15(2), 563–577. https://doi.org/10.7456/tojdac.1614822
Trijayanto, D. (2017). Representasi perempuan dalam media di Indonesia: Analisis wacana kritis pada video klip musik populer dalam lagu “Terlalu Cinta,” “Puisi,” dan “Merindunya.” Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi Ultimacomm, 9(1), 69–78.
Utami, A., & Prasetya, E. (2013). Estetika banal & spiritualisme kritis: Dialog fotografi dan sastra dalam 13 keping. Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.
Wulandari, W., & Destiadi, R. (2019). Aspek nonteknis fotografi jalanan karya Erik Prasetya. Jurnal Desain, 6(2), 145. https://doi.org/10.30998/jurnaldesain.v6i2.3104