David Hockney

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Forest Supporter’s Council

Artist David Hockney is a member of the pro-smoking organisation Forest‘s Supporters Council. Described by Forest as “Britain’s finest living artist”, Hockney has attended several of its events in support of smokers’ rights. 1

He first attended a private Forest dinner in 2004. Afterwards he described it as a “life-enhancing experience”. The following year he attended the Forest Annual Awards at The Groucho Club and spoke at a Forest event at the Labour party conference in Brighton where he was headline news. 2 3

Although Forest Not Always Mentioned

On occasions when speaking out in the media, Hockney’s links to Forest are not immediately apparent. In January 2012 he wrote a critical letter to the Guardian newspaper, in response to an article by an anti-tobacco campaigner leading the fight for plain packaging. 4
In February 2012 he attacked “Anti-tobacco fanatics”, again in the Guardian, this time via an Ipad illustration. 5 In neither cases was it mentioned that Hockney had links to Forest.

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References

  1. ↑David Hockney appointed to Order of Merit, Forest website, Monday 2nd January 2012, accessed May 2012
  2. ↑Our supporters, Forest website, undated, accessed 11 May 2012
  3. ↑PRNewswire, David Hockney Leads Opposition Against Ban on Smoking in All Public Places, LONDON, September 28
  4. ↑David Hockney, Trouble with Tobacco Haters, The Guardian, 27 January 2012
  5. ↑Guardian, David Hockney Letter in Pictures, 28 February 2012

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