Maritime 'ink': Rowan filmmakers document sailors' tattoos for Seaport Museum exhibit
Maritime 'ink': Rowan filmmakers document sailors' tattoos for Seaport Museum exhibit
April 21, 2009
Cameras rolling, Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Rich "Sam" Sambenedetto sat under the bright lights in Studio 1 of Rowan University's Bozorth Hall and talked about his ink.
He rolled his burly arm, loaded with tattoos, to show one that said "Victoria Morgan," his daughter's name.
The importance of the tattoo, one of more than 50 on Sambenedetto's body, wasn't lost on Rowan radio/television/film (RTF) students Tom Oceanak and Jon Horwitz.
"Every time he looks at his arm, he sees it," Horwitz said, thoughtfully. "It reminds him of home."
"Most of my tattoos represent points in my life," Sambenedetto, 36, of Gloucester Township, who has logged over 100,000 miles at sea in his 18-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard, told the students. "They reflect my life, my work. They're like a window to my soul."
In what is a unique collaboration between Rowan and Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum, Oceanak and Horwitz have spent many hours this spring filming oral histories of Sambenedetto and three other heavily tattooed Coast Guardsmen stationed in Philadelphia.
The finished film, which has been produced and edited by Rowan RTF Professor Diana Nicolae, will be shown during "Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor," a new exhibit which runs April 24-Jan. 3 at the Seaport Museum at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia (www.phillyseaport.org).
The exhibit "delves into the beliefs, mysteries, traditions and power of the tattoo in American maritime culture," says Curator Craig Bruns. "‘Skin & Bones' traces the origins, functions and significance of tattoos in American sailors' lives from the late 18th century onward and how merchant and naval seamen have kept this tradition unbroken and alive."
Oceanak and Horwitz, both senior RTF majors at Rowan who do not sport tattoos, were chosen specifically for the project by Nicolae.
"I have always been drawn to the power of documentaries to illuminate previously unknown or untold stories," Nicolae said. "I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to bring these fascinating tales to a wider audience.
"Tommy and Jon were invaluable in this regard. I chose them because of the quality of their student TV work and their ability to manage multiple responsibilities and busy schedules. They did a great job, proving once again that Rowan RTF students can produce professional-quality work."
For Oceanak, of Hamburg, and Horwitz, of Rahway, interviewing the Coast Guardsmen has been both fascinating and professionally gratifying.
"These tattoos create bonds among sailors. They represent the years they served," said Oceanak, a 2005 graduate of Vernon Township High School who is interested in pursuing a career in cinematography and motion pictures for television.
"Sailors have long held a deeply ingrained belief in the power of tattoos," Bruns said. "The Rowan students' film will help the museum's many visitors understand how today's sailors use their tattoos not only to pay homage to sailing traditions but also to memorialize loved ones and showcase mementoes of significant experiences and exotic locales."
The collaboration with Rowan on the "Skin & Bones" exhibit, which came about through RTF Professor Keith Brand's friendship with Bruns, doesn't end with the film. Brand, host of the show "Sleepy Hollow" on WXPN-FM since 1988, also is doing the sound design for the exhibit, providing yet another Rowan tie.
"I've had a few chats with Craig about museum exhibits and how dead they can be aurally," Brand said. "The sound design I've created for ‘Skin & Bones' will give an aural atmosphere to the space."
Sambenedetto, whose tattooed feet of a rooster and a pig are featured in the promotion poster for the exhibit, has a host of traditional maritime tattoos. Sailors believe that a rooster and pig on their feet protect them from drowning because animals were traditionally shipped in wooden crates that would float to safety in the event of a shipwreck. Sambenedetto also has the words "ship mate" across the knuckles of both hands.
"Even though I know I could never get a tattoo, the knuckle tattoos are pretty cool," said Horwitz, a 2005 graduate of Rahway High School who is interested in a career in motion pictures, short films and internet videos.
"The stories behind their tattoos are fascinating," said Oceanak, adding that it will be thrilling for the filmmakers to know that scores of museum-goers will learn more about sailors' tattoos because of their work.
"That's always the goal for people in our field...to see our work and have someone take something back with them," he said. "We're all here to tell stories, really. This is the medium we choose to use."
He rolled his burly arm, loaded with tattoos, to show one that said "Victoria Morgan," his daughter's name.
The importance of the tattoo, one of more than 50 on Sambenedetto's body, wasn't lost on Rowan radio/television/film (RTF) students Tom Oceanak and Jon Horwitz.
"Every time he looks at his arm, he sees it," Horwitz said, thoughtfully. "It reminds him of home."
"Most of my tattoos represent points in my life," Sambenedetto, 36, of Gloucester Township, who has logged over 100,000 miles at sea in his 18-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard, told the students. "They reflect my life, my work. They're like a window to my soul."
In what is a unique collaboration between Rowan and Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum, Oceanak and Horwitz have spent many hours this spring filming oral histories of Sambenedetto and three other heavily tattooed Coast Guardsmen stationed in Philadelphia.
The finished film, which has been produced and edited by Rowan RTF Professor Diana Nicolae, will be shown during "Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor," a new exhibit which runs April 24-Jan. 3 at the Seaport Museum at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia (www.phillyseaport.org).
The exhibit "delves into the beliefs, mysteries, traditions and power of the tattoo in American maritime culture," says Curator Craig Bruns. "‘Skin & Bones' traces the origins, functions and significance of tattoos in American sailors' lives from the late 18th century onward and how merchant and naval seamen have kept this tradition unbroken and alive."
Oceanak and Horwitz, both senior RTF majors at Rowan who do not sport tattoos, were chosen specifically for the project by Nicolae.
"I have always been drawn to the power of documentaries to illuminate previously unknown or untold stories," Nicolae said. "I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to bring these fascinating tales to a wider audience.
"Tommy and Jon were invaluable in this regard. I chose them because of the quality of their student TV work and their ability to manage multiple responsibilities and busy schedules. They did a great job, proving once again that Rowan RTF students can produce professional-quality work."
For Oceanak, of Hamburg, and Horwitz, of Rahway, interviewing the Coast Guardsmen has been both fascinating and professionally gratifying.
"These tattoos create bonds among sailors. They represent the years they served," said Oceanak, a 2005 graduate of Vernon Township High School who is interested in pursuing a career in cinematography and motion pictures for television.
"Sailors have long held a deeply ingrained belief in the power of tattoos," Bruns said. "The Rowan students' film will help the museum's many visitors understand how today's sailors use their tattoos not only to pay homage to sailing traditions but also to memorialize loved ones and showcase mementoes of significant experiences and exotic locales."
The collaboration with Rowan on the "Skin & Bones" exhibit, which came about through RTF Professor Keith Brand's friendship with Bruns, doesn't end with the film. Brand, host of the show "Sleepy Hollow" on WXPN-FM since 1988, also is doing the sound design for the exhibit, providing yet another Rowan tie.
"I've had a few chats with Craig about museum exhibits and how dead they can be aurally," Brand said. "The sound design I've created for ‘Skin & Bones' will give an aural atmosphere to the space."
Sambenedetto, whose tattooed feet of a rooster and a pig are featured in the promotion poster for the exhibit, has a host of traditional maritime tattoos. Sailors believe that a rooster and pig on their feet protect them from drowning because animals were traditionally shipped in wooden crates that would float to safety in the event of a shipwreck. Sambenedetto also has the words "ship mate" across the knuckles of both hands.
"Even though I know I could never get a tattoo, the knuckle tattoos are pretty cool," said Horwitz, a 2005 graduate of Rahway High School who is interested in a career in motion pictures, short films and internet videos.
"The stories behind their tattoos are fascinating," said Oceanak, adding that it will be thrilling for the filmmakers to know that scores of museum-goers will learn more about sailors' tattoos because of their work.
"That's always the goal for people in our field...to see our work and have someone take something back with them," he said. "We're all here to tell stories, really. This is the medium we choose to use."