The changing status of Chinese artists in recent history can be divided into three generations: 1) artists during the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976), 2) artists during the Post-Cultural Revolution (1977 -- 1992) and 3) artists in contemporary China (1992 - present). This paper will focus on how these three generations of artists were and are viewed and treated differently due to the distinct political environments in which they worked. China's political environment influenced these three generations in many ways, including: the differences in their social statuses, the character of artworks and their market place. Since each time period was unique, the driving questions of the thesis will be asked according to the different concerns of each generation.