Kids' stuff.

I wasn’t familiar with the work of Walter Wick. That shouldn’t be a surprise since I’m not a connoisseur of children’s puzzle books. But when you take this work out of the books and hang it on museum walls, it’s worth an extra look. In fact, if you’re interested in the books, buy them before you see this exhibit because they fall flat after you’ve seen the beautiful prints in this show.

Wick is a wizard who avoids digital tricks in favor of the real deal. Many of his puzzles are impossible to comprehend, particularly when you realize they don’t rely on digital trickery. You just can’t figure out how he’s done them. And the photos from his I Spy series of books are spectacular. The pictures feature elaborate sets constructed just for each scene. And since the exhibit also includes a number of the specially-constructed sets, you get to see the magic behind the curtain.

We were there on a Saturday and the museum was filled with young BYU families. Kudos to the parents for taking their young children to a museum. And the kids didn’t seem to mind. They squealed with delight at many of Wick’s wondrous works.