Beyond Magic: Social Satire in "Vassoura Voadora" (Flying Broom) by M. L. Massosa

M. L. Massosa is an artist known for using satire and symbolism to comment on everyday life, politics, and social contradictions. His work "Vassoura Voadora" (Flying Broom) is a brilliant example of how folklore and fantasy can be used as sharp tools of social criticism.

The painting invites us to smile with its playful imagery-after all, who hasn't dreamed of flying on a broomstick? However, beneath the magical surface, Massosa hides a profound reflection on escapism, power, and the desperate search for quick fixes for complex problems.

Flight as Escape and Symbol

The central image of the painting is, of course, the flying broomstick. This object, taken directly from fairy tales and pop culture, acquires a double meaning here:

1. The Magic Solution (Escapism): The broom represents the universal desire to transcend earthly difficulties. In societies marked by economic or bureaucratic challenges, the idea of simply "flying over" problems-of finding a magical shortcut-is extremely appealing. A massive question: is our society seeking quick, unrealistic solutions to problems that require hard work?
2. The Ironic Power: Traditionally, the broom is a symbol of cleanliness and purification. By making it fly, Massosa inverts its meaning. The power to cleanse and order chaos (the real world) is transformed into the power to ignore or abandon it.

The Figure and the Visual Context

The person or figure depicted riding the broomstick is rarely a traditional witch or wizard. Instead, it is often an ordinary individual, perhaps a bureaucrat, a politician, or an ordinary citizen, caught in a pose of euphoria or despair.

• Dynamic Composition: Massosa uses vigorous movement lines and vibrant colors to suggest the speed and thrill of flight. The background, however, is often filled with representations of the reality the figure is leaving behind: disorderly houses, chaotic cityscapes, or crowds.
• The Critique of Leadership: If the figure is identifiable as a leader or politician, the flying broom becomes a biting satire. It symbolizes leadership that rises above problems, disconnected from the reality of the people they govern, preferring to soar in utopian fantasies rather than land and resolve what needs to be "swept away."

The Style: Abstraction with a Touch of Caricature

Massosa's style is often characterized by its openness and accessibility. He employs elements of abstraction and expressionist colors, but always anchored in a clear narrative figure or object. It is this combination that makes his critique so effective: the beauty of the art attracts the eye, and the humor of the caricature delivers the message.

"Flying Broomstick" is a work that forces us to consider where we place our faith: in magical, unrealistic solutions, or in the incremental work needed to clear the clutter from our own "garden." It's a colorful reminder that true power lies in facing reality, not in flying away from it. Do you agree that the "Flying Broom" represents the desire for escapism, or do you see it as a search for pure freedom?