Gravity Is My Enemy

This short subject film profiles the life of Mark Hicks, my former neighbor, who was paralyzed from the neck down at the age of 12 (not 14, as the writer of the synopsis has stated)yet painted and drew by holding a brush, pencil, or ink pen between his teeth. His story has inspired and encouraged painters who, as a result of a disability sustained at birth or through an accident or illness, are prohibited from using their hands. The quality of his work allowed him to be invited to study under Jan Stussy at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The challenges faced by John Joseph and Jan Stussy in the making of "Gravity Is My Enemy" can be found in the July, 1980 issue of Readers Digest; the article shares the same name as the film and was written by Mr Stussy.