This wallpaper was made for Faithfull's ‘Bunker’ installation first shown at Durham Art Gallery and Light Infantry Museum in England in 2009 as part of his ‘Inkubator’ exhibition. It was later shown in Darlington, Edinburgh, and Quebec, sometimes in conjunction with his ‘Jettison’ series of artist’s books and multiples. In the exhibition printed fall-out suits were available for visitors to put on whilst they looked at the various exhibits. He also made a print ‘Plutonium: Chain Reaction’ (see E.317-2017), showing a grid of figures dressed in such suits. The NAL has his related artist’s book, also titled ‘Bunker’.

‘Bunker’ is an installation based on Faithfull’s investigations of military, civil and nuclear bunkers; it questions our views on both military and nuclear power and the relative safety of both these industries. The motifs on the wallpaper - the crane (bird) representing resurrection, the Tornado F3 jet fighter plane representing destruction and the fleur-de-lis representing the Holy Trinity - play on the similar shapes of all three motifs when plane and bird are viewed from above. The crane is an ancient symbol of resurrection, and the fleur-de-lis is an emblem of the Holy Trinity.