Happenstance 

Here we see Jeff Jamison's urban scene captured in paint. The bicycle, a central motif, stands as more than just a mode of transport; it embodies the fleeting moments of modern life, where encounters occur in a pedestrian flow, and a wheeling object becomes a temporary anchor. Note how its circular forms echo the cycles of life and time itself, harking back to ancient symbols of wholeness and continuity, from mandalas to Ouroboros. These forms resonate with our collective unconscious, evoking feelings of completion and the eternal return, a concept explored by Nietzsche. The presence of figures frozen in transit evokes a sense of melancholy or detachment. Consider how the fleeting interaction between the figures in "Happenstance" embodies our search for connection in the urban sprawl, reflecting the psychological impacts of modern life, where genuine interactions can often be overshadowed by the constant motion of daily existence. The echoes of this feeling reappear in the works of Edward Hopper and Giorgio de Chirico. Thus, the bicycle becomes a symbol of transition and temporality, resonating with a deep, almost primal understanding of existence and its cyclical nature.