Creek Creatures

This traffic signal box is a part of the Craigieburn Road Legacy Art trail.

As part of the Craigieburn Road Upgrade, Major Road Projects Victoria worked with local artists and the community to reimagine and reinvent public spaces through a signal box art trail. 

Local artists were invited to contribute to a vibrant art trail featuring 30 traffic signal cabinets along Craigieburn Road. Each piece of public art tells the story of "What makes Craigieburn unique," serving as the main theme of the art installation. The artwork also celebrates sub-themes such as community, connection, travel, history, culture, diversity, environment, nature, and sustainability.

Kathleen Jessop is an artist who perceives the world through intricate details. Her work, characterised by both surreal and expressionist elements, is deeply inspired by the natural world and the unseen forces that shape it.

Kathleen's playful and distinctive style creates a sense of continuity, inviting viewers to engage with her pieces and reflect on their own interpretations and internal experiences. Her admiration for native Australian flora and fauna is evident across all her mediums, from ink and fine liner to gouache, acrylic, and aerosol.

Through her art, Kathleen invites us to explore the beauty and complexity of nature, encouraging a deeper connection to the world around us.

This work is titled "Creek Creatures".

When I was a child, Craigieburn was in the process of expanding. Earth moving equipment was all over the place, taking the huge rocks from the ground and preparing it for development. During this process, I got to see a huge range of creatures burst forth, whether it was from the newly turned soil or from the creek system nearby. This work features animals native to the area, including the eastern banjo frog (pobblebonk), spotted marsh frog, common eastern froglet, yabby, mole cricket and water boatman (a type of freshwater insect). You will hear them after it rains in Craigieburn!