health
‘He outlived four of his doctors’: David Hockney’s lifelong love of smoking
His passion got him into scraps with the Paris Metro and numerous other bodies. Was it a social crutch? A Freudian response to his father? And why did he take such delight in writing to the Guardian about it all? David Hockney – a life in pictures David Hockney’s genius for fashion
TL;DR
- David Hockney's self-portrait 'Play within a Play within a Play and Me with a Cigarette' sparked controversy with Paris Metro authorities over smoking regulations.
- Hockney viewed restrictions on smoking and its portrayal as 'bossiness' and an infringement on artistic freedom.
- His lifelong addiction to smoking may have stemmed from early alienation or been an act of artistic self-fashioning, inspired by other famous smokers.
- He vocalized his defense of smokers' rights, comparing the oppression of smokers to less tolerant attitudes towards diverse sexualities.
- Hockney frequently wrote to The Guardian, questioning medical evidence on smoking and criticizing the UK's increasingly smoke-free environment.
- He believed in tolerance for personal habits, even keeping 2,000 cigarette butts for 'emergencies'.
- Despite a mini-stroke in 2012, Hockney continued to create art, with his final paintings showing warmth and dignity.