An Artist Discovered a Parasitic Worm in His Eye, Which He Said ‘Guided’ His Work

Live Science: Rachael Rettner

The eerie painting depicts an image few of us would want to see in the mirror, let alone casting a shadow across our own field of vision: a pale, segmented worm slithering across an unblinking eyeball.

Called “The Host,” by contemporary artist Ben Taylor, the striking painting is based on Taylor’s personal experience with a parasitic worm called Loa loa, which he discovered crawling through his eye one day in 2015. Adding to this strange tale, Taylor says he thinks the parasite influenced his artwork, even before he was aware of his infection. …Read More

Pictured: A painting called “The Host,” by contemporary artist Ben Taylor, is based on Taylor’s experience with a parasitic worm that he found in his eye. | Ben Taylor