Inspired by his parents, who both worked as nurses, blood and breathing became important elements of Franzen's artist career. Franzen uses next to ink and graphite his own blood as a medium for his drawings. (Read "Each Line One Breath - Drawn by Blood" by John Franzen)
The analysis of the line and nothingness have led Franzen to transform the act of drawing into a process of meditation. The artist sees this process as a spiritual conversation between the medium and himself. Recurring themes in Franzens work include darkness, singularity, nothingness, and destruction.