Would You Get Tattooed Through a Glory Hole?

Imagine this scenario: First, you walk into a room with a 50-foot-long picket fence covered in drawings. As you admire the art you notice that in the center there is a small hole and a chair. You have a seat and stick your arm through the hole with no idea what lurks on the other side, just the knowledge that when you pull it back your arm will be permanently altered by a tattoo. Would you have the guts to do it?

Scott Campbell is willing to bet that at least a few New Yorkers are brave enough to meet this challenge. For the next four days Campbell will abandon his station at Saved Tattoo and set up behind a painting at the Milk Gallery for a one-man exhibit entitle Whole Glory. People will have raffle tickets drawn at random for the opportunity to stick their arm through the hole and have Campbell tattoo them—with whatever design he desires. There will be no communication, no requests and no bargaining. You will be putting 100% of your trust in Campbell.

In an interview with The New York Times, Campbell explains his motivation for creating this one-of-a-kind exhibit.

“I’ve had lots of people come to me and say, ‘Do what you want, I totally trust you,’ but as a tattoo artist, you never have absolute freedom in what you create,” Campbell says. “Your canvas always has an opinion on what is going on them, which is great because sometimes you get inspired by the person, and the piece becomes a reaction to them. But it can also be a hindrance, because with any medium, it’s always purer if you are unaware of the audience.”

Tattooing is underway at the Milk Gallery, take a look at all the fun, including the first tattoo to be completed, in the gallery below. If you are in the New York area we highly recommend you muster up all of your courage and head on over to Milk Gallery to have a tattoo experience unlike any other.