MR. PEANUT (VINCENT TRASOV (B. 1947))

Vincent Trasov is a multidisciplinary artist known for his work in mail art, painting, video, and performance. In 1969, he co-founded Image Bank with Michael Morris, establishing a platform for the personal exchange of information among artists. Additionally, in 1973, Trasov co-founded and co-directed the Western Front Society in Vancouver. In 1992, he and Morris established the Morris/Trasov Archive, currently housed at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery in Vancouver. Trasov's work has been showcased in numerous international exhibitions and is held in public and private collections across Europe and North America. He currently resides and works in Berlin and Vancouver.

In 2018, Kunstverein hosted the exhibition "Mr. Peanut," which traced the history of Vincent Trasov's revolutionary alias, who famously ran for mayor of Vancouver in 1974. The exhibition featured historical documents, publications, correspondence, video footage, and recent drawings of Mr. Peanut by Trasov. "Good Housekeeping" stands out as the only depiction of Mr. Peanut in crossdress. The current lot was selected by Trasov, in collaboration with Kunstverein's director, for this auction as a metaphor representing Kunstverein's mission to provide a nurturing and welcoming space.