Pamela Anderson, Stella McCartney, Kate Moss and Tom Hiddlestone are just some of the 60 iconic celebrities captured by award-winning photographer Andy Gotts MBE in his innovative Save the Arctic public photography exhibition.
This extraordinary collection of stars wearing Vivienne Westwood’s Save the Arctic t-shirt reflects a growing global call for protection of the unique and fragile Arctic.
See the full Save the Arctic collection here
The gallery is situated in a takeover of the entire advertising space along escalators running up to the London HQ of oil company Shell, which is due to start drilling in the Arctic this month.
Terry Gilliam – writer, director and Monty Python star, who features in the collection – said:
“The irony of drilling for oil in the Arctic is that it’s only possible thanks to the melting of the ice, which in turn, is thanks to the success of man-made climate change which, in no small way, owes its thanks to us burning lots of oil and gas.”
Pamela Anderson – model and Baywatch star, who features in the collection – said:
“Some of the most vulnerable potential victims of Big Oil in the Arctic - the whales, walruses, migrating eider ducks, and polar bears - have no voice. But we do. Time to save the Arctic.”
Peter Capaldi – of Doctor Who and The Thick Of It, who also stars in the collection – said:
“We know this planet is a fragile one. Yet we stand and watch as the Arctic shrinks… The time has come to stop watching. We must act.”
John Hurt – Academy award-nominee and Harry Potter star, who features in the collection – said:
“The Arctic is one of the last great pristine ecosystems, a safe haven for endangered species and home to Indigenous Peoples whose lifestyle has survived in harmony with nature for thousands of years. This is now all under threat. It’s time to act.”
Maisie Williams - star of Game of Thrones, who features in this collection - said:
"The Arctic is one of the last great pristine ecosystems, a safe haven for
endangered species and home to Indigenous Peoples whose lifestyle has survived
in harmony with nature for thousands of years. This is now all under threat.
It’s time to act."
Jacquetta Allsopp – “Model of the Millennium” who features in the collection – said:
“If there is an oil spill in the Arctic they cannot clean it up in icy conditions. An oil spill could be trapped beneath the ice for years. This would be devastating for the people and wildlife that live there.”
Greenpeace UK’s Executive Director John Sauven said:
“Behind the 60 famous faces in this collection, there are millions more rising up to demand Arctic protection. The global movement to defend the Arctic is snowballing – with seven million people already calling for its protection.
Vivienne Westwood said:
“It was John Sauven’s brilliant idea to exhibit the images in Waterloo – using the escalators as a new art space in London – hundreds of people will be able to see the images. People all over the world understand that the Arctic melting will affect us all. If we’re to save it, the time to act is now. Last week even the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby added his voice by saying he was particularly concerned about the recent push to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. This drilling madness in the Arctic has to stop. There are 7 million people signed up to Save the Arctic, with global public opinion still growing- we need to continue this momentum until it becomes a torrent they can’t afford to ignore.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
The exhibition runs in London Underground’s Waterloo Station (York Road exit – see map) from Monday 13 July to Sunday 26 July.
Within a matter of days, Shell could begin drilling for oil in the Arctic, off the coast of Alaska.
The company’s previous attempt in 2012 suffered multiple operational failings, including its drilling rig, Kulluk, running aground.
Arctic conditions make offshore drilling extremely risky. The US administration has acknowledged that if Shell finds and extracts oil in Alaska, there's a 75% chance of a major oil spill over the lifetime of its leases. http://1.usa.gov/1AkpflH
Experts warn that an oil spill could be nearly impossible to clean up, endangering the Arctic's unique wildlife. http://bit.ly/1S8cFsT
A movement of more than 7 million people around the world has already pledged to oppose Shell’s drilling plans.
Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Save the Arctic’ t-shirts are made of organic, unbleached cotton (white is the natural colour as it grows) from a 20 year old cooperative in Peru. All the growing, processing and production of the t-shirts is fully certified by G.O.T.S. (Global Organic Textile Standard). After the t-shirts are produced in Peru, they are then printed in the UK.
See the full Save the Arctic collection here
Image Collection Caption: The Save the Arctic collection is a set of 60 muted colour portraits shot over a period of eighteen months by Andy Gotts MBE MA, a celebrity photographer based in London and New York.
Individual Image Caption: (NAME OF PORTRAIT) models Save the Arctic t-shirt designed by fashion icon and activist Dame Vivienne Westwood, shot by celebrity photographer Andy Gotts MBE.
