Inspired by the paintings of Agnes Martin (the self-proclaimed abstract expressionist who influenced the Minimalist movement), Taos Modern Emil Bisttram, and others, Wagner soon found himself at a pivotal juncture in his life. ???It was a gamble,??? he says, ???but at the age of 34 I quit my bartending gig at La Cocina, a bar on the Taos Plaza, and took up art as my main profession.???