By Lissette Nunez 

Staff Writer 

As we almost approach winter break, I would like to recommend the Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego, a museum known to have various types of eye catching artwork.

One which stood out more than the others was Atrophied Landscape, an art piece made by Travis Somerville. The painting detailed a lone house that is perched on top of Martin Luther King’s head and a collage of luxury ads from 1960’s magazines surrounded it. Moreover, the medium Somerville used in his artwork was oil on a canvas, which he completed in 2009.

Travis Somerville grew up in towns throughout the southern United States. Being born and raised in the South influenced Somerville to explore the history of race and racism through his art. Most of his large-scale oil paintings incorporated a collage of which illustrated political icons associated with their notorious cultural setting such as the piece mentioned above. His sculptures and installations also reflected on the complexities of racism that enlightened a point of how departed society is from discussing U.S. oppressions and colonial attitudes. His education sprouted through the works of Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where he studied and attended San Francisco Art Institute after getting situated in San Francisco. Today, Somerville’s work has been included in numerous museum exhibitions. One in particular enlightens the view on human rights, which is “The State of Human Rights.” It is an international exhibition consisting of 70 contemporary artists who devote their styles of art to human rights.

Overall, this would be a great place to see as a family. It opens a sense of unusual thoughts that are not usually triggered during the realm of being part of society caused by of all its distractions such as the media, politics, religion and propaganda. That being said, let us enjoy a true sense of freedom for once under the open-minded views brought by contemporary art and its attempts of expanding thoughts far beyond one’s imagination.

The museum is in Downtown San Diego at the Jacobs Building at 1100 Kettner. It is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Wednesdays.