The best thing here is Lav A2 (1999), a lifesize (apparently) working replica of an airliner bathroom built from foamcore, glue, and a Craftsman portable wet/dry vac. Sachs nails all the details, down to the kleenex dispenser and the light-up “Return to seat” sign. It’s an ingenious, obsessive joke that’s taken on dark undertones now that we live in the era of airplane anxiety.
Nutsy’s Tableau (2002-2003) is a giant, elaborately constructed racetrack for remote-control cars, complete with drawbridge, speed gun, a tunnel through a refrigerator (for beer, naturally), Rube Goldberg mazes, a ring of fire, and a mini foamcore gas station. It’s like the coolest basement hobby project ever — if you can get past the bad-asser-than-thou shop-geek attitude.
The exhibit is rounded out by an old office desk that Sachs converted into a stylish saw table, a custom drill press, specialized tool boxes, and prototypes for a sink and toilet. They’re neat, but they lack the conceptual zing of his best stuff.
