Antonio "Shades" Agee likes to joke that his art that would have sent him into the justice system a decade or two ago now pays his bills and then some.
The Corktown resident is the founder and chief artist of Technolagee, a 10-year-old company that turns graffiti into commercial art. Agee has been bombing graffiti and tags for decades, starting as a kid fascinated in hip hop and art.
As graffiti became more palatable for mass consumption in recent years, Agee found a way to turn his
passion into his profession. He has done commissions for Michigan State University, Chrysler, Nextel and Timberland. His work has been displayed in the Detroit Institute of Arts and in the movie "8 Mile."
"We take the traditional and give it a spin,"
Agee says. "We give it the edge of the young, hip and urban."
This type of artistic expression turned business isn't new in his family. He counts
John Sinclair as his godfather, and his dad ran a popular shop on
Plum Street. Agee knows graffiti is his business and he knows how to make money doing it, saying he will "paint the head of a nail if you pay me right."
Agee splits his time between his Corktown loft and Chicago. "Detroit is my home," Agee says. "I can't deny it or give it a thumbs down."
Source: Antonio "Shades" Agee, founder of Technolagee
Writer: Jon Zemke
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