Rules of Engagement examines negotiation as a staged ritual: the first terms, the escalation, the interruption, the toast, and the final signature. What began as a three-part sequence expanded as new figures entered the table, shifting the balance of power and complicating the agreement. The series moves between ceremony and threat, civility and force, where every gesture carries consequence. It remains an open sequence, continuing to follow the moments when agreement becomes performance and performance becomes conflict.

The series began as a three-part negotiation: terms are presented, pressure rises, and the deal appears to close. A later work, II.5, introduced the woman into the sequence, disrupting the original structure and revealing that the negotiation was never as simple as it first appeared. The addition of The Last Signature extended the narrative further, turning the agreement into something almost final—but not necessarily resolved.

• Negotiation.
• Power and performance.
• Escalation.
• Civility under pressure.
• Gender and interruption.
• Documents, signatures, and consequence.