Tootsie - Just an Old Drag Queen

At an age when most youths are celebrating an exciting and unknown future, Ken Atherton (Tootsie) was dealing with a completely different reality.

In 1953, at the age of 20, he was jailed in Pentridge for two years solely for being gay. Working at the Cheltenham Benevolent Home for the Elderly he was arrested with seven other work colleagues. At first, Tootsie cried, but a policeman assured him that if he just owned up to being homosexual, he wouldn't do time. So Tootsie confessed, only to find himself with a two-year jail sentence.
During that time he had a breakdown, and it's not surprising; to be told that the essence of who you are is wrong, illegal and punishable would be horrendous.

And then at the age of 62, Tootsie embarked on a grand new adventure. He was invited by a mate to dress in drag and perform the pub circuits of Melbourne. Drag wasn't something that Toots usually did, but he thought, 'why not? Let's give it a go!'

And so he did, becoming quite famous throughout the drag scene and a familiar and entertaining figure throughout Melbourne. He performed at many iconic venues in Melbourne including DT's hotel in Richmond, the 3 Faces Nightclub, the Greyhound in St Kilda, the Southern Cross Floor Show, Prince of Wales (Pokeys), and on occasion with fellow drag performers Maxine Du Barry, Lottie, Jessica James and Amanda Munroe.
Known as the oldest drag queen in the southern hemisphere, he often attracted audiences in the thousands.

Tootsie passed away a few weeks after seeing this portrait. For a man who was shunned in his youth for being gay, to now be celebrated meant so much.
He was so thrilled to be painted and along with his performing career, viewed the recognition as a significant symbol - finally he was accepted for being who he was.

Tootsie's optimism so inspired me. His story is a testimony that things can change and as a society, we can grow and develop a deeper understanding of others. He always remained himself and wasn't afraid in his later years to start something new…albeit in a frock.

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Jaq Grantford’s practice is driven by a sustained fascination with faces and the ways people reveal themselves – often unconsciously – through presence, expression, and gesture.

Working across painting and sculpture, and within both portraiture and figurative traditions, Jaq approaches each subject with attentive respect, seeking to balance accuracy with emotional truth. Her works are developed over time, allowing character and complexity to emerge gradually. Whether depicting a public figure or an intimate sitter, her portraits and figurative works aim to convey a sense of lived experience rather than surface likeness alone.

Jaq is drawn not only to individuals, but also to the extensions of human identity: the objects, structures, and environments we create that speak quietly about who we are as a society. A building, a discarded fragment, or a marked landscape can hold as much psychological weight as a face.

Jaq is based in Australia and specialises in fine art, portraiture, figurative work, and sculpture. She holds Signature Status with the Portrait Society of America and is an ARC Associate Living Artist. Her work has been exhibited widely and recognised with major awards, including the Darling Portrait Prize (National Portrait Gallery of Australia), the Archibald Prize People’s Choice Award, and the Kennedy Prize.

Her work is held in public and private collections, including the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, and the National Gallery of Victoria.