Anderson & Low: On the Set of James Bond's Spectre

Behind the scenes of the James Bond film Spectre: Q's workshop, an exploded building in Mexico City and a helicopter crash on Westminster Bridge are just a few of the sets that appear in these super-sharp photographs

British photographers Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low have created a highly original art project based on the brilliant artifice of the spectacular sets from the latest James Bond movie, Spectre. Shooting entirely at Pinewood Studios in UK, the artist duo highlights a head-on collision of fantasy and reality by photographing the sets’ massive scale and extraordinary detail.

Allowing the bare soundstage to intrude on the images would normally shatter the illusion of the sets. In this case, however, it has the reverse effect and enhances the sense of illusion, artifice and wonder. Through a poetic and painterly eye, the beautifully designed and magnificently photographed images bring to life these detailed and massive tableaux, creating a poetry and narrative fantasy that mirrors the movie. With a foreword by Spectre director Sam Mendes, this book represents a unique study in movie-making and constructed narrative in photography.

Scott Bukatman is Professor of Film and Media Studies in the Department of Art and Art History at Stanford University. He is author of "Matters of Gravity: Special Effects and Supermen in the 20th Century; Blade Runner, "BFI Modern Classics; "Terminal Identity: The Virtual Subject in Postmodern Science Fiction; "and "The Poetics of Slumberland: Animated Spirits and the Animating Spirit."

Mendes makes his film directorial debut with American Beauty. His many awards include several Olivier Awards for Best Director.

Scott Bukatman is Professor of Film and Media Studies in the Department of Art and Art History at Stanford University. He is author of "Matters of Gravity: Special Effects and Supermen in the 20th Century; Blade Runner, "BFI Modern Classics; "Terminal Identity: The Virtual Subject in Postmodern Science Fiction; "and "The Poetics of Slumberland: Animated Spirits and the Animating Spirit."