*This piece will be rolled up for ez shipping
The Messenger May Be Armed, 2025
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas
In this work, Steve Halay transforms the familiar image of a bicycle messenger into a symbol of urgency, paranoia, and fractured communication. Rendered in bold strokes of purple and yellow, the figure pedals through a chaotic field of graffiti-like inscriptions, including ominous phrases such as “Manifesto,” “Gun,” and “The messenger may be armed.” The composition blurs satire and menace, questioning how messages—whether political, commercial, or personal—are delivered, distorted, and weaponized in contemporary culture. Above, the watchful cloud hovers as both witness and judge, a recurring motif in Halay’s oeuvre that underscores themes of surveillance and unseen authority. The result is a frenetic, uneasy tableau that reflects the dissonance of modern communication in an age of mistrust.