Art Pharmacy Consulting were approached by Barclays, an investment bank and financial services company, to source an artwork for their freshly designed Sydney office.

An artwork needed to be chosen and installed into the space before the official launch of the office space the following Monday. Art Pharmacy Consulting only had 3 hours to source and present available, Sydney based artworks to the Barclays international board of directors.

The chosen artwork is by Sydney based, but Venezuelan born artist, Marisabel Gonzalez. As well as being an abstract painter, Marisabel is a trained doctor, specialising in ultrasounds, which influences her artistic practise.

“Barden Lookout" is an abstract landscape depicting the Blue Mountains. The work was painted in 2017 while Marisabel was recovering from an injury to her elbow, which prevented her from working in the hospital. Despite Marisabel being right handed, “Barden Lookout” was painted entirely with her left hand.

Artist Statement

“This work is inspired on the views of Hartley Valley from Barden Lookout in the Blue Mountains and is a work that is very close to my heart.

After suffering an injury to my right elbow, I was forced to stop my clinical work and had to take over a corporate job.

I was devastated for not being able to work with patients for some time. My elbow was hurting too much and being right handed, I couldn’t perform any ultrasound. I was also terrified of the thought that I wouldn’t be able to paint again (or at least for some time). My very smart husband, knowing the storm that would approach, send me to spend a weekend away and alone on my beloved bush in the Blue Mountains, just before I embarked on my new corporate job.

The weather over the weekend was as gloomy as my mood. It was raining, and cold, and miserable; but I was determine to make it work and happen for me. The weather didn’t stop me from doing all the bush walking activities I had planned, nor all the drawing and painting. I spent many hours in observation and meditative state over this lookout.

I came back to Sydney with a positive attitude and the determination to make the most out of this new corporate job. I started researching new technologies for the development of the ultrasound machines that I was working on, and I totally loved the job! I also forced my self to paint with my left hand, and this work was mostly performed using my left hand and pushing myself completely out of my comfort zone. The freedom of working with the unknown and unpredictable mark is the result of this artwork.

Now this work of a beautiful rural lookout is standing in a building with an impressive urban lookout. It has a story of new beginnings, perseverance and success, very appropriate for a new office. I just love knowing the work will live in the right place and I wish the guys working at Barclays can get some of the bright and positive energy it will bring to their rooms.”

• Marisabel Gonzalez