Talk of the Town - Haunted mansion September 14 2005
‘Space Ghost’ George Lowe prefers the basics over star-style digs
After providing the lead voice for “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” and announcing for most of Atlanta’s major radio stations, I completely expected George Lowe to live in some kind of mini-mansion loaded with expensive televisions and bling in the form of fancy furniture and pricey cars.
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“I can’t wait to interview him in the hot tub while we drink martinis,” I thought as I entered the Sandy Springs condominium division where Lowe resides. That idea quickly dissipated, however, when I learned that Lowe opted more for utilitarian than unbelievably lavish.
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His two-story home is neither boastful nor brash. Instead, it meets his needs: moderately secluded in a comfortable neighborhood with a few luxuries like a swimming pool and a nearby lake. Aside from that, his home studio and incredible collection of folk art proved to be his two biggest indulgences.
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Creative Loafing: What prompted you to live in a condo this size?
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Lowe: This is more like an office with a bed than a home. In my room, I’ve got a treadmill, recording studio, the bed and the art, and that’s all I really need. Some people might have a tough time living in a space this size, but it’s just right for me.
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Generally, the area is removed enough from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta that I can achieve a sense of separation from the city.
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Do you think you will ever want to renovate or enlarge the condo?
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I’ve made a couple of changes since I moved in. Most apartment-type places have the waist-high partition between the kitchen and the living room, that sorta window-looking thing you pass food through or eat at.
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Well, I replaced that with bookshelves so I’d have a place to put my art books. I’ve got almost as many art books as I do paintings.
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What makes this condo uniquely your own?
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Part of the reason I didn’t spend money on a larger place was so that I could focus on my obsession: folk art. This place used to be so full of folk art that you’d have a tough time finding the walls, but I moved a lot of that down to my condo in Florida.
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How did you make that tough choice of what to keep and what to move to your other place?
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The things I’ve kept here are the pieces that I just love. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere without them. The Bessie Harvey, Howard Finster, R.A. Miller, Tom Wesselman stuff is just amazing. It’s some of the choice art from my collection, and I love looking at it.