OTHER DIMENSIONS: INTERVIEW WITH JUN ALDAY
Jun Alday is a Filipino architectural interior consultant-artist based in Hong Kong for over twenty years. Since being first published internationally in the prestigious Architectural Digest in 1980, his works have graced numerous international and regional magazines. He is included in the book "100 Designer Favorite Rooms 2nd edition by John Pellam and in the book by Paige Rense, "Contemporary Apartments," both published in the U.S.A. He is profiled in Barons (USA) Who's Who of Interior Design 94-95 and was recently selected for publication in the upcoming Barons Who's Who of the World, 1999-2000 Global Edition.
Mr. Alday is man of varied inclinations and interests. His avocations include collecting stamps and
phonecards, asian art and antiques, Feng Shui,
silk floral arranging, writing, Internet and webpage designing to name a few. His award-winning e-book Way of Design was launched in
September of 1996.
His secondary website Thai Jataka Paintings which focuses on his collection of Thai traditional paintings is a journey to the mythical and fantastic realms where divinities, fabulous beasts and spirits act out their roles as depicted in the rare temple banners of the 19th century.
NOTE: I hit on Jun's page by accident and I was immediately impressed with the beauty of his pages on home decorating as well
as his original idea to publish his book on the Net. I invited him for an interview and in it, he said it all. When you see his works, you
have to agree that he is the artist extraordinaire.
From: Jun Alday
To: Jan Hurych
Subject: Re: Interview for Hurontaria
Date: July 23, 1998 20:18 h
"I believe Sharing is the father of the Internet.
Faith, Hope, and Charity are its children.".....Jun Alday
JAN: Different cultures have different approaches to lifestyle, but there are
many things common. In your amazingly interesting book "Way of Design" you
mention that the first approach is philosophical - in your case Taoism. How
does it help you?
JUN: Firstly Jan, allow me to thank you for the privilege of speaking in this forum. I feel awe standing amongst the eminent scholars you have so far interviewed in your e-publication.
Taoism's emphasis on intuition and harmony with nature made me look and perceive design from another level -- far from what I have been taught or exposed to earlier in my career. Good proportion, balance, lighting, ventilation, space circulation, selection of colors, furniture, furnishings and accessories are all common considerations but in the East the rationale behind them is distinctly different.
Taoism's manifestations involve the two primary elements the Yin and Yang -- the primeval substance of differentiation. From the Chinese cosmological view, the Yin expresses the negative, round, dark, physical and feminine. The Yang embodies the positive, straight, light, spiritual and masculine. The interplay and harmony of these two elements are the foundation of Feng Shui.
While my interior design may look western, what makes my work oriental is the liberal use of symbolism and metaphors to articulate Feng Shui principles. In the East, both the tangible and intangible aspects of a given space are carefully considered to create an appropriate ambiance for aesthetic and functional comfort.
One big influence to my perception and use of space are the traditional Chinese landscape paintings which are rooted to the concepts of Yin and Yang. My interiors play with solids and voids to produce a movement to the looking eye much like an oriental painting.
JAN :Many of our readers are "westerners" - their philosophy and tastes may be different. How can they benefit from your book?
JUN: With the cross cultural exchanges pervasively happening in the Internet and the advent of globalization, more and more people are being aware of Feng Shui and its holistic approach towards lifestyle and interior design in particular. In my e-book, I share with my readers the timeless wisdom of the East as the back-bone to contemporary lifestyle. My western readers benefit by gaining insight to the way oriental design is perceived and implemented.
There are as many theories and schools of Feng Shui as there are so-called experts but I don't subscribe to any one particular dogma as my approach to it is not academic. My art and understanding of Feng Shui (others claim it's a science) is not based on complex or complicated theoretical applications but on intuition, common sense, practicality and above all simplicity. More often than not, what is pleasing to the eye and feels right is good Feng Shui.
JAN: What made you think about sharing the whole book with readers, to be
your own net-publisher? What advantages and drawbacks you can see there?
JUN: I believe there is always a time and a season and if things are not correctly timed, chances for success are slim. When I wrote Way of Design more than 10 years ago I was not materially motivated. Although some of the publishers were keen to pickup the project, they demanded certain conditions I could not meet. However; to me, writing that book was a cathartic journey and for that alone I am grateful. It was a matter of self-fulfillment more than anything else. I do not see why I cannot now share this journey to the world-at-large gratis when it is very timely and relevant.
"Going on means going far, going far means returning," said Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese mystic. By looking at my book from another angle, I have given it a new lease of life more than it could ever have accomplished as a hard-bound book. The electronic medium offered me greater flexibility in the presentation of my work by the use of multi-media elements that add to the reading experience and pleasure. It is not flat unlike conventional books. In my e-book, the philosophical thoughts are woven skillfully and subtly as a WHOLE to create depth, movement, pattern and texture to please the eyes and tease the mind.
The numerous letters I have received from all over the world and from all age groups reaffirms my hunch that the world is now receptive to my message. I have gained much as a member of the Internet community and I feel obliged to return in kind. I believe Sharing is the father of the Internet and Faith, Hope, and Charity are its children.
JAN: I also noticed that you use your professional skills in design of your WEB page - it is really beautiful. What would be your advice to WEB-page designers?
JUN: Let me point out here that I only touched a computer a little more than 3 years ago when I was forced to acquire one out of necessity -- that is to organize my growing collection of phonecards. I have been technophobic all of my life. Everything I have learned from these past years are all self-taught by trials and errors.
I think it is important for webpage designers to be as simple as possible in their design direction. It is very easy to get carried away by a lot of gimmicks that could make a webpage confusing or overwhelming. I also would recommend the use of light soothing colors and textures to help the readers to relax and more importantly to absorb. I find it tiring and heavy navigating webpages with black-colored backgrounds for long periods and I invariably leave the site. Lastly, I would recommend attention to font sizes and margins.
JAN: Thank you very much on behalf of our readers and let me wish you success in your endeavours.
[Book Cover] |
[Contents] |
[Foreword] |
[Introduction] |
[Formative Years] | [Space to Start] | [Tools of Trade] [Concept Renderings] | [First Break] | [East by Southeast] | [Working Manner] | [Space Transitions] | [Seasons' Home] | [Sunsets' Place] | [Pied á Terre] | [Something Different] | [Restrained Elegance] | [Dream Zones] | [In Comfort] [Prestige Investments] |
[Asian Gallery] | [Lighting] | [Objects] | [Flowers] | [Afterword] | [Professional Profile] [Personal Profile] | [Sign Guestbook] | [Guestbook]
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