In the 2010s, Claes Oldenburg continued to expand his portfolio of large-scale public sculptures, which have been a significant part of his work since the late 1960s. One of the notable works from this period is "Paint Torch," installed in 2011 outside the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. This piece exemplifies Oldenburg's lifelong approach to creating accessible, site-specific art that incorporates democratic and multi-layered symbolism. "Paint Torch" consists of a gigantic inverted paintbrush with an orange blob at its base on the plaza pavement, symbolizing the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' commitment to upholding painting as a crucial aspect of Western art tradition. The sculpture also cleverly includes lighting in the paintbrush's orange tip, echoing the iconic Statue of Liberty with its torch. The piece's diagonal tilt adds a dynamic element, linking the two sections and emphasizing the implicit eroticism of its phallic form. This work showcases Oldenburg's enduring penchant for injecting humor and critical commentary into his public art, challenging conventional perspectives and celebrating the role of everyday objects and design in life​ (The Art Story)​. Oldenburg's work has consistently been characterized by its engagement with everyday objects, enlarging them to monumental proportions to explore their aesthetic and cultural significance. This approach has allowed him to comment on various aspects of society, including consumer culture, public space, and the democratization of art. His sculptures from the 2010s continue to reflect this thematic consistency, demonstrating his ongoing interest in transforming the mundane into the extraordinary and engaging a wide audience through art that is both accessible and thought-provoking. Through installations like "Paint Torch," Oldenburg remains a significant figure in contemporary art, bridging the gap between art and life and inviting the public to see the world around them in new and imaginative ways.