The works in this book are the result of an irresolute sequence of interruptions and deviations, centered around the Commedia dell’Arte character of Pulcinella. Once confinement started in New York, Julien Bismuth began drawing Pulcinelles on images from the newspaper that arrived each morning at his door. Rather than seek to adhere to a preliminary concept, he worked in pursuit of an idea or rather, its cipher. The idea is that of comedy, and its cipher is Pulcinella, whose character is defined by its inherent resistance to characterization. The artist chose processes and materials that were inherently receptive to contingency and deviation, and chose to work with rather than against the errors and disruptions that were encountered along the way. Images by Julien Bismuth and design by Nemuel DePaula.