A controversial painting depicting the shooting of Dimebag Darrell in 2004 is to be auctioned in London on November 21.

Titled The Assassination Of Dimebag Darrell, it’s by New York artist Tom Sanford, who’s made a reputation for himself through showing celebrity assassinations.  It’s being auctioned on November 21 by Phillips de Pury & Co.

Answering criticism from one Dimebag fan via his website recently, Sanford defending his decision to do this painting as follows: “I think of it as a history painting that attempts to depict one of the more bizarrely tragic moments of the past decade. Dimebag’s death was certainly a great loss to the music world and a truly poignant cultural event – a real rock hero slain on stage by a seemingly psychotic fan. A horrifying symptom of the kind of cultural malaise that permeated  Bush II era America.”