Charles Jeffries "Jeff" Bangert

Charles Jeffries Bangert, known as Jeff, was born in 1938 in Fargo, North Dakota. He studied mathematics at Harvard, printmaking at the Art Institute of Chicago, and earned a BA in mathematics and studio art from the University of North Dakota. He later completed graduate studies in mathematics and statistics at the University of Kansas.

Jeff spent over three decades at KU’s Academic Computing Services, where he worked as a programmer, consultant, and statistician. His interests spanned computer graphics, data analysis, and microcomputing, often with a focus on behavioral and social science research. He was deeply committed to using technology as a tool for learning, inquiry, and human connection. Jeff passed away in 2019 in Kansas.

Jeff and Colette Bangert were true pioneers in merging art and technology. From the late ’60s onward, they teamed up to create algorithmic computer art, with Jeff writing the code that controlled drawing machines, while Colette shaped the creative vision through her background in traditional art. Their collaboration was a two-way street: Jeff’s programming turned Colette’s ideas into complex, digital drawings, and their experiments with code influenced Colette’s hand-drawn work. Together, they pushed the limits of what drawing could be by combining math, technology, and art. Their work has been shown worldwide and is part of major museum collections, cementing their role as important figures in the early days of digital art.