Richard Dieguez ’85 talks about his life as avenue photographer Xiomáro

Richard P. Dieguez ’85 has lengthy been captivated by the artistic arts, even whereas in any other case working as a full-time lawyer. For twenty years, Dieguez—a singer and guitarist—was a solo practitioner with clientele that included pop star Lisa Lisa, the disco band Village People, and the rock membership CBGB. Now Dieguez is within the highlight as a curator and avenue photographer beneath the pseudonym Xiomáro—which implies “ready for battle” in Spanish. Last yr he revealed his second ebook, Street Photography of New York City: Street Haunting within the Big Apple (Sutton Publishing, 2025).

The work captures weary commuters on the Long Island Railroad platform, pro- and anti-Trump avenue protests, law enforcement officials and costumed characters in Times Square, and nattily-dressed pedestrians.

In this Q&A, Xiomáro displays on balancing regulation and artwork and explains how discovering a brand new artistic outlet helped him keep resilient after dealing with most cancers and private tragedy.

What led to your curiosity in regulation?

I attended Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. I entered as a pre-med main, however I went to a profession day, once I spoke to a nun who was additionally the pinnacle of the philosophy division. She pitched me on the concept of switching majors to philosophy. It was about ideas akin to ethics, democracy, and what does it imply to be free? Those topics actually appealed to me as a result of it was all about important pondering. I switched my main to philosophy and determined to pursue regulation college.

Why did you select NYU Law?

I narrowed it down between Georgetown and NYU Law. But NYU appealed to me as a result of, as a New Yorker—I used to be born within the Crown Heights part of Brooklyn—I knew that I might be snug in my very own atmosphere. But as an artist, I additionally must admit this: NYU is a good looking college. I actually loved the structure, just like the arches. It was heat and alluring.

How was your expertise at NYU Law?

What I loved essentially the most occurred in my second yr once I joined the editorial employees of the Journal of International Law and Politics. It was form of like working your individual enterprise. Then in 1983, I joined the coed newspaper, The Commentator. From 1984 to 1985, I used to be editor-in-chief at each the Journal and The Commentator. The newspaper wasn’t only for NYU, however for the neighborhood. I suppose that was a foreshadowing of attending to work on books immediately.

A variety of the professors might be intimidating. But I used to be actually impressed to be within the felony regulation class of David A.J. Richards [Edwin D. Webb Professor of Law]. I had truly learn a few of his work in my philosophy courses as an undergrad. I simply thought that he had a special approach of presenting the fabric that made it extra participating. I want that I might communicate as superbly as he does. On the final day of sophistication, he gave a speech to encourage us to go ahead. I don’t know if he wrote it upfront, or if he presents it yearly, however it was simply an incredible speech. We all applauded on the finish.

What occurred after you graduated?

Going to a company regulation agency or being an funding banker was what everyone was gravitating in direction of. Because it was within the zeitgeist, I figured, “Let me just try it and see what it is.”

I went to work within the litigation division at Morgan Lewis & Bockius of their Park Avenue workplace. But I used to be solely there for a yr. In 1987, I went to a different agency, referred to as Battle Fowler. I used to be upset, nonetheless, as a result of I assumed it could have a greater stability of time between work and household life. I made a decision to take a job with a solo practitioner.

You later established your individual apply. How did that come about?

It was a gradual course of. I wasn’t making some huge cash with the solo practitioner, however he was explaining issues to me. I discovered rather a lot and, over time, I leaned in direction of organising my very own apply. I made a decision in 1990 to go away and take an opportunity.

I began hanging out at completely different nightclubs. It was nonetheless the start of hip-hop changing into business, and then you definately had plenty of the Latin freestyle artists. Many of them had been snug with me as a result of we had comparable backgrounds. That’s how I began getting purchasers—not simply artists, however writers, producers, and engineers.

Building the apply appealed to me as a result of I felt I used to be extra inside my tribe with individuals who had been on the identical wavelength as me. A variety of the work was about making an attempt to get larger advances from the document labels. I had well-known artists, however I used to be additionally representing purchasers who couldn’t afford my companies to barter a contract. Many of them had been younger Black and Latino artists who noticed the music trade as a approach out of sure neighborhoods and as an opportunity to succeed. If the label paid a $10,000 advance and my charge was, say, $3,500—there have been instances once I would defer it as they tried to get into the trade. And that was a approach to assist them out. That grew to become extra sophisticated when the 2008 recession occurred.  

Part of my curiosity within the regulation was studying how artists can defend their mental property and copyrights. Having that data allowed me to be of service. And now it’s serving to to tell plenty of what I’m doing as an artist myself.

How did you develop a spotlight in images?

Everything modified when [the file sharing service] Napster got here in, as a result of document gross sales began to say no. [From 2008 to 2011] I grew to become an impartial contractor with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, after which I used to be a full-time employees lawyer there from 2011 to 2021.

I used to be writing, recording, and performing with my band at any time when I might. But then I bought prostate most cancers, and medical doctors weren’t positive what the end result was going to be. I had already purchased a digital digicam, simply to {photograph} my exhibits and promote them on my web site. When I used to be recovering from surgical procedure, I began going to nationwide parks out west, together with Colorado and Utah. I had no intention of exhibiting what I shot, however numerous folks actually favored the pictures.

And then I bought an e-mail from the Automobile Club of America selling this nationwide park in Connecticut referred to as Weir Farm National Historical Site. It was the house of a well-known American painter named Julian Alden Weir. So I went there with my spouse. During the tour, the ranger mentioned that they’ve an artist-in-residence program. To my amazement, they really accepted me once I utilized. I used to be later contacted about utilizing my photos to advertise the park. And Senator [Joe] Lieberman, who launched the laws to create the park, exhibited my work at his workplace in Washington, DC. That grew to become a launching pad.

Describe your strategy as a avenue photographer.

I just like the problem of getting as shut as attainable. Sometimes I’ll put the digicam by my hip. And I’ll tilt the digicam with out even trying into the viewfinder. And I approximate the place they’re going to be in relation to the lean. It doesn’t all the time work out. Sometimes heads are reduce off. But I’ve been amazed at what number of instances I’ve gotten pictures that approach.

Those pictures had been taken over a 10-year interval, throughout my commute. That was additionally a really troublesome interval. My mom was bedridden with dementia, my father died of most cancers, and my daughter, who was 30 years outdated, died of a drug overdose. The images actually grew to become one thing therapeutic.

Given all that you just’ve skilled, what’s the overarching lesson out of your life?

I’m simply astounded by it and I’m grateful as a result of plenty of it occurred by happenstance. I simply attempt to seize the day. Carpe diem. That’s why I needed to strike my very own stability. It’s good to have some huge cash, however I don’t assume cash is the end-all or be-all. Life is brief. So it’s important to actually take into consideration what sort of distinction you need to make.

Photo by Janette Pellegrini