BEAUTY OUT OF ASH
If childhood ambitions came true for Simon Cherkasski, he’d be an archeologist—a career the Russian-born Israeli describes as ordinary. “In Israel,
you can dig under your house and find the treasure” because history lives “in every square inch,” he says. Instead, the Greenacres resident turned to the extraordinary in his backyard studio, which he
describes as “the only place I’m really 100 percent
happy.” Here, three-dimensional copper flowers
and butterflies bloom. They’re finished with an epoxy glaze that lends a delicate translucence in contrast to his practical workshop. “My father was a mechanic,” Cherkasski says of the genesis of his skills. While he honed his own
expertise by playing with his father’s tools, he didn’t
give his three sons as much freedom out of fear that
they would hurt themselves. Plus, he adds, “I have
no patience and I cannot teach.” Cherkasski’s artistic leanings began early. He filled his schoolbooks with sketches as his interest strayed from his subjects, a trait he attributes to attention deficit disorder. These drawings caught the attention of an advisor, who encouraged him to apply to art school. From there, he launched a multipronged career in media, first working as a graphic artist and then in various positions in newspaper and radio outlets before he and his wife moved their young family to Maryland, where he eventually began creating catalogs for a studio artist.
The cyclical nature of that work opened a window for Cherkasski to begin his own fine art pursuit: painting. In a basement studio, he created, selling a few pieces, until tragedy struck. “There was a fire in the house, and I just couldn’t paint anymore,” he recalls.
From the ashes, his passion for sculpture was born—as well as his insistence that his Florida studio be separate from his house. And while he’s
spent time making figures in a Judaica style, he’s now also focusing on pieces that capitalize on the intrinsic beauty of copper. cherkasski-art.com Creative influence: I grew up adjunct to it. Art came to me.
Work schedule: Eight days a week. I would work nine if I could. Office hours: I try not to make noise before 9 a.m. Counting strides: I do 3 miles a day, just going to get more coffee. Best version: My prototypes. You’re not thinking; it just happens. Fatal flaw:
I have the sin of pride. I’m not
willing to bend too much [for a
commission]. Critic counter: If
people don’t like what you’re
doing, do it anyway if it speaks
to you. Advice to aspiring artists: I don’t want to give too much to an advertising slogan,
but Nike has it right. Just do
it. Don’t be afraid of what you
don’t know
Art and Culture Of Palm Beach County – Spring/Summer 2023
Simon Cherkasski 