For my money, Luxo’s Ovelo LED task light deserved an entry into Best of NeoCon by virtue of its name alone. Evoking the slick smoothness of Las Vegas’ Luxor casino, the captivating contours of Fontana Arte’s Uovo Egg Lamp, and just a touch of the nefariousness of arch villain Lex Luthor, Ovelo gets high marks for character as well as functionality. Ovelo’s 6W dimmable LEDs provide what Luxo calls “industry leading luminance,” and its dual task arms and four pivot points give it the precision positioning power of the best ergonomically-minded lights.

Ovelo. Designed by Luxo.

Of course, for you particularly dedicated workaholics, the shut-off feature can be bypassed, and, with a simple swivel of the combination aluminum and steel spring-balanced arm, you can keep Ovelo illuminated while shining a slightly different light on things, which may be enough to provide a fresh perspective on the moment’s particular conundrum. Ovelo is the creation of Montreal-born and -bred designer Stephan Copeland. Given Copeland’s interest in the mechanics of motion, it’s no surprise that the lamp resembles a hominid of the WALL*E variety. In that movie, and in the great filmic tradition of intelligent life forms modeled after homo sapiens, the “artificial life” forms are meant to be both an extension and improvement of ourselves. Copeland believes that such a manifestation is possible, and, with Ovelo’s intuitive functionality, he seems to have achieved it: “products that move fluidly with people’s physical intentions allow intuitive expression and elevating achievement… moving with grace and agility is also a visual art that celebrates our sense of evolution and potential.”