Early Life and Artistic Training

Robert Hedrick begins his story in Windsor, Ontario, born in 1930. He grows up amidst the landscape of rural Essex County, a setting far removed from the formal studios he would later inhabit. His first technical grounding comes at H.B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario, where he trains as a commercial artist. This period is defined by the precision of graphic work; he spends his early years designing labels for the Wright Lithographing Company, honing a disciplined eye for form and line through industrial application.

The trajectory shifts in 1951. Hedrick moves to Mexico, seeking the rigors of formal painting at the Instituto de Allende in San Miguel. The atmosphere changes from the commercial precision of Ontario to the intense study of fine art. Here, he enters the studio of the muralist Rico Lebrun. Under Lebrun’s guidance, the commercial draftsman begins to transition into a painter and sculptor, absorbing the structural complexities of a master of form.

Life and Work in Toronto

By the early 1950s, Hedrick has established himself in Toronto, Ontario. He becomes part of a specific group of young artists driving a renewal across the city's art scene, a movement that gains momentum through the mid-fifties and continues throughout the sixties. This period marks a shift in the local landscape as new energy enters the galleries and studios of the city.

The drive for alternative education leads to a significant institutional shift in 1965. Hedrick co-founds the New School of Art alongside Dennis Burton. This venture seeks to challenge conventional methods of instruction. Alongside this, he joins Diane Pugen, Gordon Rayner, Dennis Graham Coughtry, Paul Sloggett, Ross Mendes, and Paul Young to co-found Arts' Sake Inc., an institute for visual art. These efforts create new spaces for independent practice and non-traditional learning within the Toronto community.

His involvement in these institutions transitions into formal instruction. Between 1971 and 1973, he teaches at The New School of Art in Toronto. His presence in the city's academic and creative circles remains a constant through these decades of institutional building and pedagogical experimentation.

Teaching and Academic Career

The classroom becomes a secondary studio for Hedrick, a space where the discipline of non-objective art meets formal instruction. In 1971, he begins a tenure at The New School of Art in Toronto, an alternative post-secondary institution he helped establish. This period of teaching is marked by a commitment to contemporary painting and a departure from conventional arts education. He moves from this experimental environment to Guelph University, where he teaches from 1979 to 1984.

The focus shifts toward the technical foundations of visual language at the Ontario College of Art. Between 1985 and 1995, he instructs students in the mechanics of form and light. His curriculum at the college is broad, covering painting, drawing, sculpture, and colour theory. This decade of instruction at the Ontario College of Art—now known as OCAD University—solidifies his influence on a generation of Canadian practitioners. He remains a former faculty member of the institution, leaving behind a legacy of rigorous, deliberate instruction.

Major Commissions and Artistic Style

Hedrick approaches non-objective art as a severe discipline. His practice relies on steady contemplation and cautious experimentation. He operates within a strict adherence to a set of formal standards, rejecting the loose spontaneity often associated with abstraction. This rigor defines his output across various media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking.

His most significant public commission remains the bronze doors for the main entrance of the Lester B. Pearson Building in Ottawa. These doors represent a physical manifestation of his sculptural capacity and his ability to translate formal discipline into large-scale, permanent installations. His work moves beyond the canvas, demanding a structural presence in the public sphere.

Notable Artworks

The evolution of Hedrick's practice is visible in the shift from delicate media to the weight of oil on canvas. In about 1957, he produced Abstract, a work executed in chalk on paper. This early exploration of form precedes the more substantial compositions that would define his later career. By 1961, his focus had moved toward the expansive nature of oil, as seen in Altitude.

His canvases often grapple with spatial tension and non-objective discipline. Enroute and Shifting Field exist as significant oil on canvas contributions, capturing a sense of movement and formal rigor. Even when working without a specific title, such as in Untitled Abstract, the artist maintains a strict adherence to the formal standards of his discipline.

• Abstract, about 1957
• Altitude, 1961

Exhibitions and Public Collections

The reach of Hedrick’s presence extends from the local galleries of Toronto to major international institutions. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Isaacs Gallery and the Dorothy Cameron Gallery, spaces central to the mid-century art scene. These exhibitions placed his non-objective explorations alongside the shifting landscape of Canadian modernism.

His legacy is anchored in permanent collections across North America. In Canada, his pieces are held by the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Regional importance is reflected in the collections of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Mackenzie Art Gallery, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. His work also resides in the Dalhousie Art Gallery, the University of Letharge Art Gallery, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, and the Guelph University Art Gallery. The Oshawa McLaughlin Gallery maintains works as well.

The scope of his influence crosses the border into the United States. His paintings and sculptures are part of the permanent holdings at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other significant repositories include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

Later Years and Death

The final chapter of Robert Hedrick's life concludes in Toronto, Ontario. He passed away at home on February 24, 2021, at the age of 90. His death marks the end of a long presence within the Canadian art community, spanning from his early training in London, Ontario, to his later years as an educator and practitioner.

He leaves behind a family that includes his partner, Suzanne Cantin, and his three daughters, Julie, Esme, and Kai. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Ariadne, Matthew, and Isa. He was the brother of the late Catherine, Sharon, and Fred.