IT has all the glossy pictures of cup cakes, scones and fine china, but there’s a little more to the  recipes in Jonathan Cameron’s high tea cook book than first meets the eye.
In his graduating piece from Wellington’s Massey University College of Fine Arts, Cameron looks into the currently popular genre of the vampire through a limited edition cook book titled Vamp: High Tea Edition. But as well as the usual butter, flour and sugar Cameron’s recipes also contain blood.
“I wanted to depict the two extremes associated with vampires, beauty and horror,” Cameron says. “I’ve shot all the pictures in a seductive manner, so the cup cakes look appealing but I’m juxtaposing that beauty and attraction with the repulsion associated with the consumption of blood.”
Cameron is one of almost one hundred graduating students whose works will be displayed during the BLOW creative arts festival, celebrating the work of Massey’s fine arts students. The festival includes the Exposure Exhibition, showing the work of graduating students from all disciplines (industrial design, textile and spatial design, photography and fine arts, graphic and digital design, illustration and advertising design), and this year’s College fashion show, New Blood.
Cameron went to Massey straight from high school in 2008. He says he always enjoyed art at school and in his final year at Tawa College concentrated on photography, design and painting and printmaking. He chose Massey because it was close to home and its reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest design schools.
“At Massey I’ve grown so much as an artist.  I’ve learnt to be independent in my art making practice, not to rely on others such as tutors, and I’ve learnt to critically evaluate my own work.”
Cameron has completed his honours degee and plans to return next year to do his Masters. After that he dreams of a career teaching art.
BLOW is the culminating event of a year of celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of art and design education in Wellington. The Massey of University College of Creative Arts traces its origins back to 1886 when the Wellington School of Design was established.
Blow Creative Arts Festival, Massey University, Wellington, November 5-19.