This project will document the social structure of Mexico City's post-mural art world within the context of Mexican politics and economy. The student will study the relationship of artistic expression to its social and political context by examining individual life histories. This project has relevance to many areas of modern knowledge in that it will document the effect of a decrease in government support for the arts. It will also look at how painting can be a cultural symbol of national identity and how individuals, both government personnel and artists, manipulate these symbols.